ii 


ililllm! 


GIFT  OF 

Saacrort 
LiBKARY 


1  E  M  0  I 


S.    S.    P  RE  I  T  I  S  S. 


VOI,.    I. 


'ss  ,C,L. 


MEMO IB 


S.    S,    PREMISS, 


SDITED    BY    HIS   BROTHER 


VOL.   I. 


NEW  YORK : 
CHARLES  SCRIBKER,  124  GRAND-STREET, 

1861. 


E340 


\  •  $ 


E.TTIRKD  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  th«  year  3855,  ty 

CHARLES     SCRIBNER, 
fo  th«  Clerk's  Office  of  the  U.  S.  District  Court,  for  the  Southern  District  of  Ne 


GIFT  OF 

Bancroft 
LIBRARY 


PREFACE. 


THE  first  plan  of  this  Memoir  contemplated  no 
larger  audienoe  than  the  little  circle  of  Mr.  Pren- 
tiss'  own  family  and  kindred.  It  was  hoped  that 
the  sharpness  of  their  grief,  caused  by  his  death, 
might  be  soothed  by  a  few  simple  memorials  of  his 
life.  But  the  materials  were  soon  found  to  be  ample 
for  a  biography  ;  and,  encouraged  by  many  friendly 
voices,  I  resolved  to  attempt  it.  The  task  has  proved 
far  more  serious  than  was  anticipated.  But  it  has 
been  a  most  grateful  labor;  and  were  the  result 
quite  worthy  of  the  theme,  I  should  be  well  satisfied. 
The  fact  that  the  work  has  been  written  in  odd 
moments,  stolen  from  an  exacting  profession,  may 
serve  to  explain,  and  perhaps  to  palliate,  some  of 
its  imperfections. 

In  arranging  the  materials,  my  aim  has  been,  as 
much  as  possible,  to  shape  them  into  an  autobio 
graphy.  This  has  led  to  the  insertion  of  the  speeches 

861356 


VI  PREFACE. 

into  the  body  of  the  narrative.  It  has  also  led 
to  what,  I  fear,  may  be  regarded  as  an  exces 
sive  use  of  the  domestic  correspondence.  If  any 
one  should  think  that  some  of  the  letters,  whe 
ther  on  the  score  of  taste  or  value,  might  better 
have  been  omitted,  I  beg  him  to  consider  this  point ; 
and,  also,  how  hard  it  is  in  such  a  choice,  not  to  be 
biased  by  mere  personal  feeling.  During  the  first 
ten  years  of  Mr.  Prentiss'  residence  in  the  South 
West,  this  correspondence  is  almost  the  only  record 
of  him  that  remains.  As  it  is,  not  a  few  of  his 
most  beautiful  and  characteristic  letters  are  left 
out. 

It  is  proper  to  say,  that  in  describing  his  election 
eering  campaigns  in  1837-8,  as  also  his  speech  at 
Portland  in  1840,  and  that  at  Natchez  in  1844, 
several  distinct  accounts — oral,  written  and  printed — 
have  been  condensed  into  one.  This  seemed  better 
than  to  publish  three  or  four  separate  notices  of  the 
same  address. 

My  best  thanks  are  due,  and  are  hereby  most 
heartily  tendered,  to  all  who,  in  any  way,  have  aided 
me  in  my  fraternal  task.  Nothing  could  exceed  the 
kindness  with  wrhich  my  brother's  old  friends,  in  the 
North  and  South,  have  answered  my  inquiries,  and 
given  me  the  benefit  of  their  reminiscences.  To  my 
brother-in-law,  the  Rev.  Jonathan  F.  Stearns,  D.D., 


PREFACE.  Vii 

1  am  under  special  obligations.  "Without  his  con 
stant  encouragement  it  is  doubtful  if  the  work 
would  ever  have  been  completed;  that  its  imper 
fections  are  not  far  more  numerous,  is  chiefly  owing 
to  his  critical  taste. 

Should  these  unpretending  volumes  render  the 
name  of  S.  S.  Prentiss  dearer  to  his  old  friends,  or 
make  it  honored  amongst  those  who  never  knew  him, 
I  shall  be  rewarded  a  hundredfold  for  all  the  pains 
they  have  cost  me. 

New  York,  Aug.  2,  1853. 


CONTENTS  OF  VOL.  I. 


CHAPTER  I. 

His  Parentage,  Birth  and  Childhood— Removal  of  the  Family  to   Gorham— His 
Grandfather  Lewis — Devotion  to  his  Mother,  and  early  Taste  for  Reading.         18 


CHAPTER  II. 

The  District  School-house — His  Fondness  for  Gunning  and  Fishing— It  is  decided 
that  he  shall  go  to  College — Preparatory  Studies  at  Gorham  Academy — Rev. 
Reuben  Nason — Anecdotes  of  his  boyish  Wit  and  Oratory — Enters  Bowdoin 
College— Reminiscences  of  him  at  this  Period — Graduates,  and  commences  the 
Study  of  Law— Judge  Pierce's  Recollections  of  him— Letters  from  his  Friend 
Appleton,  ...  .23 

CHAPTER  III. 

Emigration  of  Educated  Young  Men  from  New  England— Maine  Twenty-five  Years 
ago— He  determines  to  go  West— His  setting  out— His  Letters  Home,  describing 
his  Journey  to  Cincinnati,  and  thence  to  Natchez— Notice  of  his  Uncle,  Rev. 
James  Lewis — Obtains  a  Situation  as  Teacher,  .  .  .  .  .49 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Letters  Home  while  teaching  in  the  Family  of  Mrs.  Shields— Notice  of  George  W. 
Pierce — Letters  from  his  Class-mate,  Appleton — Takes  Charge  of  an  Academy — 
Trip  into  Louisiana — Anecdotes  of  him  by  one  of  his  pupils — Is  Licensed,  and 
commences  the  Practice  of  Law  in  Partnership  with  Gen.  Huston — His  Appear 
ance  at  this  Time — Anecdote  of  his  first  Speech  at  the  Bar — Trip  to  Columbia 
Springs— His  Views  of  Slavery,  .  .  ...  .  .  .69 

CHAPTER  V. 

Essay  on  Toasting — Removes  to  Vicksburg — Mr.  Chilton's  Reminiscences  of  Him — 
Letters  Home — Visits  Washington  City — Advice  to  a  College  Student — Forms  a 
Partnership  with  Mr,  Guion— Letters,  ,  .  .  .  .  .109 

1* 


CONTENTS    OF    VOL. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

The  Southwest  a  Quarter  of  a  Century  ago— Hostile  Meeting  with  Gen.  Foote— 
Frequency  of  Duels  in  Mississippi  at  that  time — Lord  Bacon's  Opinion  of  this 
"Desperate  Evil,"  its  Causes  and  Cure — Letters  Home — Rapid  Increase  or 
Business — Recollections  of  him  when  riding  the  Circuit — A  Night's  Imprison 
ment — Eulogy  on  Lafayette,  .  .  .  .  .  .  .129 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Letters — Voyage  to  New  York — His  First  Visit  Home — Letters — Serious  Accident — 
Is  elected  a  Member  of  the  Legislature — Entrance  into  Political  Life — Anecdote 
of  a  Backwoods  Speech— Session  of  the  Legislature— Letters  Home— Visit  to 
Kentucky— His  Trips  up  and  down  the  Mississippi— Scenery  and  Scenes  on 
the  River— Vicksiburg  in  1836-7, 157 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Adjourned  Session  of  the  Legislature — Mr.  Prentiss's  Speech  on  the  Question  of 
admitting  the  Delegates  from  the  New  Counties — Protest  against  their  Admis 
sion — Resigns  his  Seat,  .  .....  187 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Recollections  of  him  in  the  Winter  of  1S36-7— Letters— Gains  the  great  Commons 
Suit — Second  Visit  Home — Fourth  of  July  Speech  at  Portland — Becomes  a  Candi 
date  for  Congress — His  Views  on  the  Question  of  a  National  Bank — Mississippi  in 
1837 — Opens  the  Canvass  with  a  Speech  at  Natchez — Electioneering  Campaign — 
His  Letters  describing  it,  ........  218 


CHAPTER   X. 

Arrives  in  Washington— The  Lower  House  of  Congress  in  1S3S— Mississippi  Con 
tested  Election — His  first  Speech  on  claiming  his  Seat — The  Admiration  it  excited 
—Mr.  Webster's  and  Mr.  Fillmore's  Opinions  of  it— Mr.  Legare's  Reply  to  it— His 
second  Speech — What  followed — The  final  Result — Is  rejected — An  Error  corrected 
touching  a  Remark  of  Mr.  Clay — Public  Dinner  on  the  Eve  of  his  Return  to  Missis 
sippi  and  a  Union  Speech  of  Mr.  Webster — Letters,  ....  244 


CHAPTER  XI. 

Bpeech  on  the  Mississippi  Contested  Election,        .  .    265 

CHAPTER   XII. 

Address  to  the  People  of  Mississippi — Return  to  Vicksburg — Second  Canvass  of 
the  State — Reminiscences  of  it — Speech  at  Natchez — Anecdotes  illustrating  the 
Effect  of  his  Eloquence — His  own  Account  of  Scenes  with  a  Menagerie — Result  of 
the  Election— Address  to  a  Jury— Letters— Return  to  Washington— Claims  hii 


CONTENTS    OF   VOL.    I.  XI 

Seat  under  the  November  Certificate  of  Election— Characteristic  Incident  men- 
tioned  by  Mr.  Word — Speech  on  the  Sub-Treasury  Bill — Letters — Speech  oc 
Small  Note  Bill— North  and  South,  .  .  .  .  .  .317 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Visits  Portland— Attends  the  Public  Dinner  given  to  Daniel  Webster  in  Faneuil 
Hall— Letter  from  Edward  Everett— His  Speech  on  the  Occasion— Trip  to  the 
Whit*  Mountains — Invitation  to  a  Public  Dinner  in  New  York — The  Correspon 
dence — Reminiscence  by  Judge  Wilkinson — Returns  to  Mississippi  by  Sea — 
Reception  at  New  Orleans— Extract  from  a  Speech  at  Vicksburg  on  Disunijn— 
Letters,  ........  .  8£4 


MEMOIR  OF   S.  S.  PEEITISS. 


CHAPTER   I. 

His  Parentage,  Birth  and  Childhood— Removal  of  the  Family  to  Gorham— Hi« 
Grandfather  Lewis— Devotion  to  his  Mother,  and  early  Taste  for  Reading. 

JET.  1-10.     1808-1818. 

THE  subject  of  the  following  memoir  was  descended 
from  one  of  the  oldest  New  England  stocks.  His  paternal 
ancestor,  Henry  Prentice,  came  over  from  England  and 
settled  as  a  "Planter,"  in  Cambridge,  Mass.,  some  time 
before  1640.  He  was  a  member  of  the  first  Church  in 
Cambridge,  formed  in  1636,  and  of  which  Rev.  Thomas 
Hooker,  who  soon  removed  to  Hartford,  Conn.,  was  the  first 
pastor.  His  eldest  daughter,  Mary,  married  Deacon 
Nathaniel  Hancock,  great  grandfather  of  John  Hancock, 
the  illustrious  President  of  the  Continental  Congress.  Not 
a  few  of  the  most  respectable  families  in  Massachusetts, 
New  Hampshire,  Maine  and  Vermont,  trace  back  their 
origin  to  Henry  Prentice,  of  Cambridge. 

Rev.  Joshua  Prentice,  minister  of  Holliston,  Mass.,  and 
great-grandson  of  Henry,  altered  the  spelling  of  the  name 
to  Prentiss,  in  order,  probably,  to  distinguish  it  from  other 


14  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

branches  of  the  same  family  ;  an  alteration,  which  seems  to 
have  been  generally  adopted  by  the  descendants  of  Henry, 
of  Cambridge.* 

Samuel,  Prentiss,  the  grandfather  of  Seargent,  was  gra 
duated  art  "Harvard  University  in  1771,  and  after  the  birth 
of  his  eldest  son  William,  removed  to  Gorham,  Me.,  where- 
^he  resided  $6$  hfs  death. 


SEARGENT  SMITH  PRENTISS  was  born  at  Portland,  Maine, 
September  30,  1808.  His  father,  William  Prentiss,  a 
highly  respected  and  prosperous  shipmaster,  was  a  man  of 
much  energy  and  decision  of  character,  of  quick  intelligence, 
and  strong  domestic  affections.  His  return  from  sea  was 
always  the  signal  for  great  family  rejoicing  ;  a  season,  too, 
redolent  of  oranges,  pine-apples,  and  other  products  of 
foreign  climes,  sweet  to  the  taste,  or  pleasant  to  the  eye. 

Few  things  contribute  so  much  to  give  variety  and  anima 
tion  to  the  household-life  of  a  New  England  seaport  as  the 


*I  am  indebted  for  these  facts  to  The  History  and  Genealogy  of  the  Prentice 
or  Prentiss  Family  in  New  England,  from  1631  to  1852,  published  in  Boston, 
1852,  by  C.  J.  F.  Binney.  The  work  contains  much  curious  and  valuable  informa 
tion  about  the  family,  but  is  not  free  from  inaccuracies ;  e.  g.  in  stating  that 
the  Editor  of  this  Memoir  was  "  a  Representative  to  the  Massachusetts  Legislature, 
1848,  from  New  Bedford."  Mr.  Binney  says  the  name  is  an  old  one  in  England. 
In  Rhymer's  Fcedera,  vol.  iii.,  page  730,  mention  is  made  of  Thomas  Prentiz,  Anno 
Domini  1318,  An.  12,  Ed.  2.  Also,  John  Prentys,  Rector  of  Winterborn,  Bradston, 
Aug.  22  1413,  and  Prebendary  of  York,  North  Newbold.  The  first  of  the  name  in 
America  was,  probably,  Valentine  Prentice,  who  came  over  with  Elliot,  the  Apostle 
to  the  Indians,  in  1631,  and  settled  in  Roxbury,  Mass.  "  He  lived  a  godly  life,  and 
went  through  much  affliction  by  bodily  infirmity,  and  died  leaving  a  good  safr 
(savor)  of  godliness  behind  him."  Deacon  Henry  Prentice,  grandfather  of  Samuel, 
"owned  the  Fresh  Pond  property  in  Cambridge.  A  valuable  document,  written 
and  signed  by  him,  instituting  the  first  prayer  meeting,  is  in  possession  of  Rev. 
Mr.  Albro,  of  the  Shepherd  Congregational  Church.  He  was  a  tall  and  very  grave- 
looking  man,  sat  in  the  Deacons'  seat  in  church,  directly  in  front  of  the  minister, 
and  In  cold  weather  he  put  on  a  green  woollen  cap  with  a  tassel  on  the  top,  to 
keep  his  head  warm,  it  being  bald  on  top." 


ORIGIN    OF    HIS    LAMENESS.  15 

Constant  coming  and  going  of  husbands,  fathers,  sons,  and 
brothers,  on  their  more  or  less  distant  voyages.  The  home 
of  a  sea-captain  is  marked  by  peculiar  excitement  and  glad 
ness  during  his  visits,  followed  by  unusual  fears^  anxiety, 
and  loneliness  while  he  is  away.  How  differently  affected 
are  his  wife  and  children  by  the  wintry  blasts,  by 'tidings  of 
shipwrecks  and  storms  at  sea,  by  reports  of  pirates  and 
naval  captures,  from  those  of  the  landsman.  And  when, 
after  long  and  perilous  voyages,  he  comes  back  in  safety, 
with  what  eagerness  do  the  children  listen  to  his  story. 
How  they  talk  it  over  among  themselves,  and  feast  their 
young  imaginations  upon  its  wonders. 

Capt.  Prentiss  had  not  a  few  hair-breadth  escapes  to 
relate.  He  had  encountered  storms  and  hurricanes,  had 
been  repeatedly  shipwrecked,  chased  by  pirates,  and  boarded 
by  a  British  man-of-war.  Many  of  these  things  happened 
while  Seargent  was  a  boy,  and  all  were  among  the  familiar 
traditions  of  the  fireside,  repeated  a  hundred  times  by  his 
mother  during  the  long  winter  evenings.  It  was  in  these 
early  days,  no  doubt,  his  memory  became  stored  with  those 
wild,  ocean  images  which,  in  later  years,  he  wrought  into 
forms  of  such  exceeding  beauty  and  grandeur. 

While  yet  an  infant,  he  was  seized  with  a  violent  fever, 
which  reduced  him  to  the  verge  of  death,  deprived  him  for 
several  years  of  the  use  of  his  limbs,  and  was  the  cause  of 
the  defect  in  one  of  them,  from  which  he  never  recovered. 
For  his  partial  recovery  be  was  indebted  to  the  unwearied 
care  and  devotion  of  his  mother.  Every  day  she  was  accus 
tomed  to  spend  an  hour  or  two  in  rubbing  and  bathing  his 
torpid  limbs  ;  this  she  continued  to  do,  as  far  as  her  own 
infirm  health  would  allow,  year  after  year,  until  one  by  one 
they  became  strong  enough  to  perform  their  appropriate 
functions  :  the  right  leg  alone  refused  to  be  entirely  healed, 
"emaining  lame  and  feeble  to  the  last.  With  this  exception, 


16  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    PRENTIS3. 

his  physical  development  was  perfect;  that  of  an  ancient 
wrestler  could  hardly  have  been  more  so. 

Those  who  knew  him  in  after  years,  will,  perhaps,  recol 
lect  his  horror  of  cold  water  bathing.  It  had  its  origin  in 
infancy.  After  trying  in  vain  all  other  appliances,  his 
mother  was  advised  to  dip  him  every  morning  in  cold 
water  drawn  directly  from  the  well  ;  and  this  she  did, 
except  in  winter,  for  several  years.  It  proved  effectual  in 
hastening  his  restoration  ;  but  he  could  never  after  hear 
of  a  cold  bath  without  shuddering. 

He  did  not  forget  the  patient  love  that  rescued  him  from 
the  misfortune  of  growing  up  a  helpless  cripple.  The  filial 
piety,  which  will  form  a  chief  attraction  of  these  pages,  had 
in  it  a  depth  of  tenderness  and  gratitude  of  which  that  love 
is  the  best  and  only  solution. 

Seargent's  parents  were  members  of  the  congregation 
over  which  Rev.  Edward  Payson,  then  in  the  first  glow  and 
outburst  of  that  apostolic  zeal  which,  at  length,  consumed 
him,  had  been  recently  ordained  minister.  They  were 
among  the  earliest  of  a  great  company  who  were  indebted 
to  his  pious  labors  for  their  Christian  hope  ;  he  was 
endeared  to  them,  therefore,  not  merely  as  a  beloved  teacher 
and  friend,  but  as  the  father  of  their  religious  life.  The 
impression  made  upon  Seargent  by  this  devoted  man,  was 
strong  and  abiding.  Aside  from  the  veneration  he  cherished 
for  him  as  the  one  by  whom  he  had  been  baptized,  and  who 
was  regarded  by  his  parents  with  an  affection  scarcely  "this 
side  idolatry,"  he  felt,  doubtless  the  electric  touch  of  that 
genius  for  which  Dr.  Payson  was  no  less  eminent  than  for  his 
seraphic  piety.  One  fond  of  tracing  the  subtle  influences 
which  shape  and  give  tone  to  the  development  of  the  indi 
vidual  mind,  could  easily  believe  that  in  this  close  contact  of 
the  embryo  orator  with  the  ardent  and  eloquent  divine,  lay 
the  secret  cause  of  not  a  little  that  he  afterwards  became 


REMOVAL  OF  7HE  FAMILY  TO  GORHAM.          17 

He  ever  retained  an  affectionate  respect  for  the  memory  and 
virtues  of  his  early  pastor,  and  often  spoke  of  his  peculiar 
talent  for  original,  happy  illustration,  in  terms  of  congenial 
admiration  and  delight.* 

He  retained,  too,  through  life  an  almost  boyish  attach 
ment  to  his  native  town.  Casco  Bay,  upon  which  it  lies,  he 
once  called,  in  poetic  phrase,  "  the  fairest  dimple  on 
ocean's  cheek."  It  is  studded  with  pretty  islands,  some  say 
one  for  each  day  in  the  year.  No  stranger  who  visits 
Portland  in  the  summer,  or  early  autumn,  can  fail  to 
admire  the  charming  variety  and  beauty  of  its  scenery.  The 
sea-views,  sweeping  down  the  coast,  or  opening  out  upon 
the  broad  Atlantic,  are  singularly  fine  ;  while  the  land 
scapes,  bounded  far  away  in  the  distance  by  a  magnificent 
prospect  of  the  White  Mountains,  are  not  less  attractive. 

During  the  war  with  Great  Britain,  Captain  Prentiss 
removed  to  Grorham,  a  town  distant  some  eight  or  nine  miles 
from  Portland.  Like  many  others,  he  was  driven  into  the 
country  by  the  ruin  which  had  fallen  upon  commerce. 
Portland  was  one  of  the  leading  shipping-ports  in  the 
"Union  ;  the  amount  of  its  tonnage  being  less  than  that  of 
only  three  or  four  others.  The  prostration  of  business 
caused  by  Mr.  Jefferson's  embargo  policy,  and  then  by 
actual  hostilities  with  our  great  transatlantic  customer,  was 
complete.  It  is  remembered  to  this  day  with  terror  by  old 
merchants  and  shipmasters,  some  of  whom,  during  .forty 
years,  have  not  been  able  to  recover  from  its  blighting 
reverses.  So  long  as  the  lessons  of  the  war  of  1812  are 
kept  in  memory,  the  commercial  temper  of  the  country  is 
not  likely  to  be  belligerent. 


*  In  a  letter  written  in  1843,  he  alludes  to  Dr.  Payson  as  "  our  old  family  pastor 
one  of  the  most,  if  not  the  most,  eloquent  of  the  American  divines,  whose  name  la 
reverenced  by  all  good  men." 


18  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

This  removal  to  Gorham  was  fraught  with  the  most  import 
aiit  results,  being  one  of  those  domestic  changes  which,  appa 
rently  trifling  at  the  time,  in  the  end  prove  to  have  been 
turning-points  in  the  destiny  both  of  parents  and  children.  It 
gave  form  and  coloring  to  Seargent's  whole  subsequent  life. 

Gorham  was  a  pleasant  farming  town,  especially  distin 
guished  for  religious  and  educational  advantages.  Its 
original  settlers,  a  hardy,  intelligent  and  pious  race,  were 
sprung  of  the  genuine  Pilgrim  stock.  Some  of  them  still 
survived,  full  of  anecdotes  of  the  Revolutionary  times,  and 
of  their  early  conflicts  and  adventures  with  the  wild  beasts 
and  Indians,  who,  long  after  their  coming,  continued  to  haunt 
the  forests  of  Gorham.* 

In  this  town  lived  Seargent's  maternal  grandfather, 
Major  George  Lewis.  Like  most  of  the  early  settlers  of 
Gorham,  he  was  a  native  of  Cape  Cod,  whence  he  had  emi 
grated  after  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  War.  His  farm 
was  situated  at  a  little  distance  from  Clement's  Corner,  on 
the  old  county  road  to  Standish,  at  the  point  where  it  turn? 
off  towards  Buxton.  The  house,  erected  by  him  in  tht 
wilderness,  three-quarters  of  a  century  ago,  is  yet  standing, 
but  untenanted,  and  ready  to  vanish  away. 

Major  Lewis  was  a  man  of  great  weight  and  force  of 
character,  of  excellent  understanding,  and  noted  for  the 
earnestness  of  his  religious  and  political  convictions.  One 
might  have  gone  far  before  finding  a  truer  specimen  of  tho 
Puritan  deacon,  or  of  the  old-fashioned  Washingtonian 
Federalist.  Before  emigrating  to  Maine,  he  had  been  out 
in  the  Revolutionary  war,  served  as  an  officer  in  the  battle 
of  Bunker-Hill,  and  was  deeply  imbued  with  the  patriotic 


*  For  an  Interesting  account  of  the  settlement  and  early  history  of  Gorhanx 
with  sketches  of  its  leading  men,  see  Judge  Pierce'a  Centennial  Discourse, 
Portland,  1835. 


HIS    GRANDFATHER    LEWIS.  19 

spirit  of  the  times.  An  aged  aunt,  recently  deceased, 
used  to  depict,  with  much  vivacity,  the  scene  of  her 
father's  setting  out  to  join  the  Provincial  army.  All 
hands  were  busy  in  preparing  for  his  departure  ;  but  it  was 
a  task  of  mingled  fear  and  hope.  The  dread  shadow  of 
approaching  war  and  revolution  was  resting  upon  every 
household  in  New  England  ;  and  many  a  wife's,  mother's, 
daughter's  or  sister's  heart  already  presaged  the  agony  that 
was  to  come  !  Neither  mother  nor  daughter,  on  that  night, 
gave  slumber  to  her  eyelids  ;  long  before  daybreak  the 
retreating  footsteps  died  upon  the  ear,  and  the  house  was 
left  solitary  and  desolate.  How  different  was  the  scene, 
when  her  father  and  his  fellow-townsmen  returned  home 
with  the  laurels  of  Bunker  Hill  still  fresh  upon  their  brows. 
Among  Major  Lewis's  intimate  friends  were  his  cousin, 
Hon.  George.,  Thacher,*  of  Biddeford  ;  General  Peleg 
Wadsworth  ;  Judge  Longfellow,  of  Gorham  ;  and  the 
late  Hon.  Prentiss  Mellen,  Chief-Justice  of  Maine.  When 
visited  by  these  friends,  the  state  of  the  country  was  an 
invariable  subject  of  discourse  ;  and  they  would  often  sit 
up  till  after  midnight,  absorbed  in  warm  political  discussions. 
Major  Lewis,  as  has  been  intimated,  was  a  strong  Fede 
ralist,  of  the  school  of  Washington  ;  and,  like  many  others 
of  that  school,  "  hated"  Mr.  Jefferson  "  with  perfect  hatred." 
To  his  boyish  intercourse  with  his  grandfather  is  to  be 

*  Mr.  Thacher  died  in  1824.  He  represented  the  District  of  Maine  in  Congress 
for  several  years,  and  was  then  appointed  an  Associate  Judge  of  the  Supreme 
Court  of  Massachusetts.  He  continued  on  the  Bench  almost  to  the  day  of  his 
death.  He  was  a  man  of  superior  ability,  gifted  with  the  keenest  wit,  and  endeared 
to  all  who  knew  him  by  his  fine  social  qualities.  While  in  Congress,  he  was  chal 
lenged  to  fight  a  duel.  His  reply  has  passed  into  a  proverb.  It  was  to  this  effect, 
— that  in  matters  of  such  gravity  he  always  consulted  his  wife,  then  at  home  in 
Maine,  and  he  should  feel  especially  bound  to  do  so  in  the  present  instance.  In 
the  meanwhile,  if  the  other  party  would  chalk  out  a  man  of  just  his  size,  and 
shooting  at  it  according  to  the  rules  of  the  duello,  should  hit  it,  he  (Judge  T.)  would 
cheerfully  admit  that,  had  he  stood  in  the  jlace  of  the  chalk-man,  the  ball  would 
have  hit  Mm  too. 


20  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PREXTISS. 

•attributed  much  of  the  political  spirit  which  marked  Sear 
gent's  mature  years.  Hardly  a  pleasant  day  passed,  during 
the  latter  part  of  the  venerable  man's  life,  in  which  he 
failed  to  pay  his  daughter  a  visit.  Seargent  was  a  par 
ticular  favorite  with  him,  and,  unconsciously,  perhaps,  wag 
thus  early  imbibing  principles  and  a  habit  of  feeling  in 
reference  to  public  affairs,  which  underwent  no  essential 
change  to  the  day  of  his  death. 

In  this  connection  the  name  of  his  uncle,  Hon.  Lothrop 
Lewis,  should  not  be  omitted — a  name  still  cherished  by  all 
who  knew  him  with  peculiar  respect.  For  many  years  he 
was  entrusted  by  his  fellow-citizens  with  numerous  important 
offices,  and,  but  for  his  untimely  decease,  bid  fair  to  reach 
the  highest  honors  in  the  State.  A  man  of  eminent  worth, 
mildness,  and  dignity  of  character — a  model  of  public  virtue 
— he  was  admirably  fitted  to  inspire  the  young  with  just 
and  honorable  sentiments.  Seargent  was  much  in  his  family, 
and  conceived  for  him  the  greatest  regard  and  veneration. 

Capt.  Prentiss'  farm  was  about  half  a  mile  from  Major 
Lewis's,  on  the  road  to  Standish.  The  old  homestead,  built 
on  a  gentle  elevation,  has  a  very  pleasant  outlook,  while 
from  a  neighboring  hill  the  eye  rests  on  a  landscape,  or 
rather  series  of  landscapes,  of  more  than  ordinary  attraction. 

Owing  to  his  lameness,  which  precluded  walking  for 
several  years  after  the  removal  to  Gorham,  Seargent  passed 
the  greater  portion  of  his  boyhood  in-doors,  and  under  the 
immediate  eye  of  his  mother.  He  was  emphatically  the  son 
of  her  right  hand.  The  sufferings  of  his  infancy,  long  oscil 
lating  between  life  and  death,*  and  his  still  crippled  state, 

*  While  his  father  was  absent  at  sea,  a  sweet  little  sister,  whose  memory  is  still 
cherished  in  the  family,  died ;  but,  by  some  mistake,  the  report  reached  his  father 
that  it  was  Seargent.  He  immediately  wrote  to  the  mother,  congratulating  her 
that  it  had  pleased  Providence  to  spare  Caroline,  and  to  take  away  the  poor 
cripple,  whose  prospect  for  life  seemed  so  hopeless.  How  little  do  we  know  wheq 
we  are  most  blessed  ! 


DEVOTION   TO   HIS   MOTHER.  21 

would  of  themselves  have  especially  endeared  him  to  her— 
for  what  touches  the  maternal  heart  like  a  sick,  unfortuna/te. 
child  ? — but  he  was  endeared  to  her  yet  more  by  his 
extreme  beauty,  sprightlin^ss  of  mind,  and  affectionate 
disposition.  Everybody  was  'struck  with  his  noble  fore 
head,  fine  eye,  and  frank,  open  countenance  ;  a  countenance 
beaming,  even  in  its  dawn,  with  that  intellectual  fire  which, 
in  later  years,  was  wont  to  shine  with  such  lightning 
brightness.  Everybody,  too,  noted  his  mental  forwardness, 
and  predicted  that  he  would  one  day  be  heard  of  in  the 
world.  The  tradition  of  him  and  his  witty  sayings  is  still 
fresh  among  the  old  neighbors  and  his  playmates  at  school. 
But  more  than  by  his  beauty,  or  his  wit,  was  the  little 
cripple  endeared  to  his  mother  by  his  sweet  disposition. 
From  the  first,  he  was  a  tender-hearted,  generous,  loving 
boy  ;  singularly  free  from  that  selfish  petulance  and  ill- 
nature  which  too  often  cast  a  shadow  over  the  face  of 
childhood  ;  and  all  these  fine  qualities  crystallized,  as  it 
were,  into  devotion  to  his  mother.  Never  was  he  so  happy 
as  when  sitting  by  her  side  or  nestling  in  her  bosom. 
When,  according  to  the  good  old  Christian  custom,  she  on 
Sabbath  evening  retired  with  the  younger  children  to  pray 
with  and  for  them,  he  always  insisted  upon  kneeling  beside 
the  same  chair  with  his  mother.  What  began  in  weakness 
and  suffering,  grew  into  a  habit,  a  necessity,  and 

"A  joy  for  ever." 

His  in-door  life  afforded  excellent  opportunity  for  reading. 
There  were  few  Puritan  families  of  New  England  in  which 
one  might  not  meet,  in  whole  or  in  part,  the  writings  of 
John  Newton,  Baxter's  Saint's  Rest,  Bunyan's  Holy  War 
and  Pilgrim1 's  Progress,  Edwards  On  the  Affections,  Milton's 
Paradise  Lost,  Young's  Night  Thoughts,  and  similar  works. 
The  list  would  have  now  to  be  greatly  enlarged.  In  many 


22  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

a  plain,  rural  household,  may  be  found  a  select  library  of  the 
best  poets,  historians,  essayists,  and  divines  of  England  and 
America.  The  sons  and  daughters  of  the  intelligent  New 
England  farmers  are  early  initiated  into  the  noblest  litera 
ture  of  their  mother  tongue.  Before  reaching  his  tenth 
year,  Seargent  was  master  of  every  book  upon  which  he 
could  lay  his  hand.  The  Bible,  in  particular,  he  read  and 
re-read,  until  his  acquaintance  with  its  contents  was  aston 
ishing!  He  would  repeat  large  portions  from  memory. 
When  no  one  else  could  "  find  the  text "  on  Sabbath  evening, 
he  was  seldom  appealed  to  in  vain.  Next  to  the  Bible,  his 
greatest  favorite  was  the  Pilgrim's  Progress.  Over  this 
matchless  allegory  he  pored  with  unceasing  delight ;  he 
knew  by  heart  every  step  which  Christian  travelled  from 
the  City  of  Destruction  to  the  Celestial  City.  The 
copy  used  by  him  was  full  of  pictures,  of  the  Palace  Beau 
tiful,  Vanity  Fair,  the  Cave  of  Pope  and  Pagan,  Giant 
Despair,  Doubting  Castle,  and  the  Delectable  Mountains  ; 
and  so  deeply  were  the  scenes,  thus  graphically  depicted  by 
pen  and  pencil,  engraven  upon  his  fancy,  that  in  after  years 
Pilgrim's  Progress,  like  the  Bible,  was  to  him  a  never- 
failing  treasury  of  felicitous  allusion  and  illustration. 

Thus  passed  away  the  first  ten  years  of  his  life  ;  the 
season  of  budding  to  the  intellect  and  the  affections.  No 
feature  of  his  mature  character  was  wanting  in  that  of  his 
boyhood.  Those  who  knew  him,  from  the  cradle  to  the 
grave,  recognized  the  same  high-souled,  genial,  and  affec 
tionate  being  at  ten  and  at  forty. 

«'  Tht  Child  was  Father  of  the  man." 


THE    DISTRICT    SCHOOL   HOUSE. 


CHAPTER  IT. 

The  District  Sciool-house— His  fondness  for  Gunning  and  Fishing— It  Is  decided 
that  he  shall  go  to  College— Preparatory  Studies  at  Gorham  Academy— Rev. 
Reuben  Nason— Anecdotes  of  his  boyish  Wit  and  Oratory— Enters  Bowdoin 
College— Reminiscences  of  him  at  this  period— Graduates,  and  commences  the 
Study  of  Law— Judge  Pierce's  Recollections  of  him— Letters  from  his  Friend 
Appleton. 

at.  11—18.     1818—1827. 

AT  a  little  distance  from  Captain  Prentiss's  farm  stood, 
and  still  stands,  the  district  school-house.  It  was  thus 
described  by  his  son,  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century 
later  : — 

Behold  yonder  simple  building  near  the  crossing  of  the  village 
roads !  It  is  of  small  and  rude  construction,  but  stands  in  a 
pleasant  and  quiet  spot.  A  magnificent  old  elm  spreads  its 
broad  arms  above,  and  seems  to  lean  towards  it,  as  a  strong  man 
bends  to  shelter  and  protect  a  child.  A  brook  runs  through  the 
meadow  near,  and,  hard  by,  there  is  an  orchard ;  but  the  trees 
have  suffered  much,  and  bear  no  fruit  except  upon  the  most 
remote  and  inaccessible  branches.  From  within  its  walls  comes 
a  busy  hum,  such  as  you  may  hear  in  a  disturbed  bee-hive. 
Now  peep  through  yonder  window,  and  you  will  see  a  hundred 
children,  with  rosy  cheeks,  mischievous  eyes,  and  demure  faces, 
all  engaged,  or  pretending  to  be  engaged,  in  their  little  lessons. 
It  is  the  public  school — the  free,  the  common  school, — provided 
bylaw;  open  to  all;  claimed  from  the  community  as  a  right, 
not  accepted  as  a  bounty.  Jlere  the  children  of  the  rich  and 
poor,  high  and  low,  meet  upon  perfect  equality,  and  commence 
under  the  same  auspices  the  race  of  life.  Here  the  sustenance 


4  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

of  the  mind  is  served  up  to  all  alike,  as  Spartans  served  their 
food  upon  the  public  table.  Here  young  Ambition  climbs  its 
little  ladder,  and  boyish  Genius  plumes  his  half-fledged  wings. 
From  among  these  laughing  children  will  go  forth  the  men  who 
are  to  control  their  age  and  country ;  the  statesman,  whose 
wisdom  is  to  guide  the  senate;  the  poet,  who  will  take  captive 
the  hearts  of  the  people,  and  bind  them  together  with  immortal 
song ;  the  philosopher,  who,  boldly  seizing  upon  the  elements 
themselves,  will  compel  them  to  his  wishes,  and,  through  new 
combinations  of  their  primal  laws,  by  some  great  discovery, 
revolutionize  both  art  and  science.* 

Until  his  eighth  or  ninth  year  Seargent  continued  so 
lame  that  he  could  only  walk  by  means  of  crutches  ;  a 
little  carriage  was,  therefore,  provided,  and  for  several 
winters  his  elder  brother  was  in  the  habit  of  drawing  him  to 
and  from  school.  At  length,  he  was  able  to  move  freely  by 
the  help  of  a  single  cane.  No  sooner  was  this  the  case  than 
he  conceived  the  greatest  passion  for  roaming  abroad  in  the 
fields  and  woods, — but  especially  for  gunning  and  fishing. 
The  principal  game,  which  he  went  in  quest  of,  were 
partridge,  wild  duck,  grey  squirrel,  and  wild  pigeon.  In 
the  time  of  harvest,  immense  flocks  of  the  latter  would  fly 
over  the  country,  and  thousands  of  them  alight  in  the  neigh 
boring  woods.  It  was  the  custom  of  his  brother  and  himself, 
as  soon  as  the  wheat-fields  were  reaped,  to  raise  two  dead 
trees,  and  prepare  beneath  them  a  long  bed  of  earth, 
covered  with  grain  and  tinctured  with  certain  fragrant  oils, 
which  the  pigeons  were  supposed  to  scent  from  afar.  Hard 
by,  a  booth  was  built,  in  which  they  could  conceal  them 
selves  and  await  the  coming  of  their  prey.  When  a  goodly 
number  had  alighted  on  the  bed,  a  net  was  sprung  upon  them. 
Seargent's  excitement  was  always  irrepressible  ;  the  instant 


*  Address  before  the  New  England  Society  of  New  Orleani. 


THE    GREAT    BROOK.  25 

the  string  was  pulled,  he  could  be  seen, — there  are  some, 
who,  in  the  mind's  eye,  see  him  even  now — leaping  from  the 
booth,  and  hurrying  at  the  top  of  his  speed  to  survey  the 
haul.  Sometimes,  instead  of  a  net,  the  old  farm  gun  was 
resorted  to,  and,  although  it  had  a  habit  of  "kicking" 
badly,  having  dislocated  his  brother's  shoulder,  and  repeat 
edly  knocked  him  to  the  ground,  he  would  never  be  per 
suaded  to  give  up  using  it — even  his  attachment  to  his 
mother  was  here  at  fault. 

But  his  greatest  delight  was  in  angling.  Old  Izaak 
Walton  could  hardly  have  excelled  him  in  devotion  to  this 
"  treacherous  art,"  or  in  the  skill  with  which  he  pursued  it. 
There  were  two  trout  streams  in  the  vicinity,  whose  names 
will  recall  many  a  happy  day  to  some  readers  of  this 
memoir,  the  Branch,  and  the  Great  Brook ;  the  latter, — 
including  Jordan's  Brook, — was  Seargent's  favorite  resort. 
He  pronounced  it  "  the  most  classic  stream  in  North 
America."  It  took  its  rise  in  a  forest,  called  the  Haith, 
and,  after  winding  through  fields,  woods,  arid  pasture  lands, 
for  several  miles,  emptied  itself  into  a  neighbouring  river. 
It  was,  indeed,  a  notable  stream  ;  abounding  in  trout 
of  unequalled  flavor,  and  whose  quick,  dashing  bite  was 
the  admiration  of  all  true  anglers.  There  were  certain 
holes,  often  at  unsightly  points,  and  quite  hidden  from  the 
eyes  of  tne  uninitiated,  which  rarely  failed  to  furnish  a 
kingly  victim.  How  well  remembered  are  these  favored 
spots  !  There  was  something  almost  mysterious  about 
them  ;  they  were  never  approached  but  on  tiptoe,  stealthily, 
and  with  eye  half-averted  ;  or,  if  concealed  arnifl  the  tangled 
brushwood,  one  must  creep  towards  them  on  all  fours  ;  and 
then  with  what  an  anxious  glance  and  careful  hand  was  the 
fatal  lure  let  down  into  the  water.  There  was  hardly  a 
foot  of  the  Great  Brook  which  Seargent  had  not  traversed 
again  and  again  ;  not  a  nook  or  bend  with  which  he  was 

2 


26  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

not  familiar.  When  talking  of  it  once,  in  Mississippi,  he 
maintained  that,  even  in  the  night,  he  could  find  his  way 
direct  to  the  old  holes,  and,  kneeling  down,  put  his  hand 
upon  the  identical  hooks  which  had  been  caught  and  lost  in 
1  hem  twenty  years  before.  Many  and  many  a  long  sum 
mer's  day  did  he  spend  in  wandering  slowly  up  and  down 
the  Great  Brook  ;  and  never,  in  after  life,  was  the  subject 
mentioned  without  reviving  some  of  the  pleasantest  memo 
ries  of  his  youth. 

Captain  Prentiss  brought  up  his  sons  to  working  on  the 
farm  ;  but,  in  consequence  of 'his  infirmity,  Seargent  was,  in 
great  measure,  exempt.  There  were  a  few  things,  however, 
which  he  was  able  and  accustomed  to  do  ;  such  as,  riding 
the  horse  to  plough  and  harrow,  dropping  seed  in  planting- 
time,  husking  corn,  weeding  and  bunching  onions.  He 
loved  none  of  these  employments, — but  of  the  last  he  had  a 
cordial  detestation.  The  only  relief  he  found  in  it  was  to 
get  through  his  stint  in  season  to  go  a-gunning,  or 
fishing.  He  was  utterly  insensible  to  the  dignity  of 
labor. 

His  parents  now  cast  about  to  see  what  should  be  done 
with  him,  his  lameness  and  his  character  alike  warning 
them  that  he  would  never  be  a  farmer.  Conscious  of  his 
remarkable  qualities,  they  felt  a  strong  wish  to  give  him  a 
liberal  education.  But  the  family  had  become  large,  its 
expenses  heavy,  and  the  farm  swallowed  up  well-nigh  all 
the  profits  of  the  ocean.  Capt.  Prentiss  had  undertaken, 
like  many  before  and  since,  to  combine  two  things  essen 
tially  incompatible — to  cultivate  at  the  same  time  the  sea 
and  the  dry  land.  He  thus  gained  for  his  children,  health, 
plain  habits,  and  the  many  other  blessings  incident  to  a 
country  life  ;  but  he  lost  money.  The  question,  however, 
after  remaining  for  a  year  or  two  in  debate,  was  at  length 
decided  in  Seargent'e  favor.  But,  in  any  case,  he  had 


REV.  REUBEN  NASON.  27 

resolved  upon  going  to  college,  often  declaring  to  hi? 
mother,  that,  if  there  were  no  other  way,  he  would  learn  * 
shoemaker's  trade,  and  work  at  the  last,  until  the  mean? 
were  acquired  of  accomplishing  his  purpose. 

His  preparatory  studies  were  pursued  at  Gorham  Aca 
demy,  distant  some  two  and  a  half  miles  from  the  farm.  In 
the  winter  he  boarded  at  the  village,  but  the  rest  of  the 
year  at-home,  one  of  his  brothers  usually  conveying  him  on 
horseback,  and  going  to  meet  him  on  his  return  in  the 
evening.  How  vividly  does  the  writer  recall  those  sum 
mer  rides.  It  seems  but  yesterday,  as  it  were,  that  he 
took  them  ;  and  he  can  almost  fancy  his  arms  still  clinging 
for  support  around  that  form  of  youthful  genius,  as  they 
were  wont  to  do  thirty  years  ago.  Every  step,  each  turn 
and  aspect  of  the  road,  every  successive  landscape  ;  the 
pleasant  glimpses  of  Portland,  in  going  ;  the  beautiful 
mountain-prospect,  in  returning ;  all  are  engraven  upon  his 
memory  as  "  with  the  point  of  a  diamond!" 

Gorham  Academy  was  one  of  the  foremost  institutions 
of  the  kind  in  Maine.  It  was,  at  this  time,  under  the 
charge  of  the  Rev.  Reuben  Nason — a  ripe.1,  scholar,  an 
excellent  preceptor,  and  a  truly  good  man.  Hundreds  of 
his  pupils,  scattered  all  over  the  Republic,  still  live  to 
cherish  and  revere  his  memory.  There  was  much  about 
him  to  remind  one  of  the  old  English  head-master,  of  whom 
we  read  in  books.  He  had  a  similar  predilection  for  clas 
sical  learning,  the  same  pride  and  delight  in  a  promising 
boy,  a  like  intolerance  of  blockheads,  and,  occasionally,  the 
same  impatience  and  sharpness  of  temper.  He  has  been 
known  (hand  ignota  loquor)  to  flog  a  delinquent  with  the 
Bible,  when  no  profaner  weapon  was  at  hand.  He  usually 
prayed  with  one  eye,  at  least,  wide  open,  on  the  look-out 
for  transgressors  ;  and  often  was  "Amen"  followed  msianter 


28  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

by  the  imperative  "  Come  up,  sir  1"  and  the  quick  report  of 
birch,  or  ferule.  But,  for  all  that,  he  was  a  man  of  genuine 
kindness,  and  always  had  an  encouraging,  friendly  word  for 
those  who  were  worthy  of  it.  No  one  enjoyed  more,  or 
had  a  keener  appreciation,  of  a  good  joke,  or  a  well-told 
story.  Many  are  the  traditions  of  the  readiness  and  dry 
humor  with  which  he  would  meet  the  pranks,  sometimes 
played  off  upon  him.  On  entering  the  Academy,  one 
summer  morning,  he  found  the  school  all  assembled,  and  his 
desk  pre-occupied  by  a  notorious  donkey.  Naught  disturbed, 
he  at  once  exclaimed,  with  a  sarcastic  laugh, — "Well, 
young  gentlemen,  I  compliment  you  upon  your  taste.  You 
have  made  an  admirable  selection.  Set  a  donkey  to  teach 
donkeys  I"  The  animal  was  never  caught  there  again. 

While  pursuing  his  academic  studies,  young  Prentiss 
greatly  enlarged  his  acquaintance  with  books.  There  was 
a  respectable  collection  attached  to  the  Institution,  and 
several  private  libraries  in  the  village,  to  which  he  had 
access.  It  was,  probably,  during  this  period  that  he  became 
acquainted  with  the  Arabian  Nights  Entertainments,  Don 
Quixote,  and  other  works  of  a  similar  description,  for  which 
he  had  a  passionate  fondness.  He  read  with  extraordinary 
rapidity,  and  whatever  he  read — whether  history,  bio 
graphy,  poetry,  or  romance — was  ineffaceably  impressed 
upon  his  memory.  Among  other  works  which  fell  in  his 
way  at  this  time  was  Lempriere's  Classical  Dictionary. 
Many  years  afterwards,  he  spoke  of  the  perfect  delight  with 
which,  in  the  leisure  school-hours,  he  read  and  re-read  this 
book.  He  almost  knew  the  whole  of  it  by  heart.  Lem- 
priere,  he  used  to  say,  was  an  invincible  weapon  for  giving 
interest  and  effect  to  a  stump  speech  ;  when  all  other  illus 
trations  were  powerless,  he  never  knew  the  shirt  of 
Nessus,  the  Labors  of  Hercules,  or  the  forge  of  Vulcan,  to 
fail. 


HIS  BOYISH  WIT.  29 

He  was  noted  at  the  academy  for  the  same  personal  and 
intellectual  qualities  which  distinguished  him  in  after  life. 
Anecdotes,  illustrative  of  his  wit  and  biting  sarcasm,  as 
also  of  his  physical  daring,  are  still  rife  among  his  old  scool- 
fellows. 

On  one  occasion  some  dozen  boys  were  called  up  and 
punished  by  the  assistant,  for  a  certain  trick,  whose  author 
could  not  be  detected.  The  next  morning  a  sharp  reproof 
in  doggerel  rhyme  was  posted  about  the  village,  of  which  a 
friend  recalls  the  following  : — 

"  Mr.  Blank,  I  must  confess 
You  have  well  proved  your  foolishness 
By  whipping  us  poor  fellows  so, 
To  find  out  what  we  didn't  know. 
No  doubt  you  very  oft  have  read 
What  God  to  Abraham  once  said, 
That  for  the  righteousness  often 
He'd  save  two  cities,  full  of  men. 
But  you  the  contrawise  have  done 
And  flogged  a  dozen  to  punish  one !" 

A  lady,  now  resident  in  one  of  the  Middle  States, 
writes  : — 

It  was  a  rule  at  the  Academy  that  each  student  should  once 
a  week  declaim  a  piece  selected  for  the  occasion.  Seargent, 
then  but  twelve  or  thirteen  years  old,  had  been  for  some  time 
behindhand.  Mr.  Nason  at  length  told  him  that  he  would  take 
no  excuse  ;  the  declamation  must  be  made  on  the  spot.  Where 
upon  the  little  fellow  started  out  upon  the  rostrum,  and  deliv 
ered  a  most  ludicrous  original  poem,  full  of  wit  and  humor, 
apologizing  for  his  previous  remissness.  Mr.  Nason  who,  as  you 
know,  was  a  very  nervous  man,  was  so  convulsed  with  laughter 
that  he  was  obliged  to  hide  his  face  in  his  handkerchief,  until  the 
fun  was  over.  But  he  first  looked  round  the  school-room  to  see 
that  everybody  else  was  participating  in  his  delight.  How  well 
I  recall  the  whole  scene. 

I  reco.lect  an  incident  which  occurred  about  this  time,  illus- 


30  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PREMISS. 

trative  of  his  bold,  impulsive  nature.  lie  was  at  our  house 
during  one  of  those  terrible  northeast  snow-storms,  which  none 
but  a  New-Englander  can  appreciate.  Towards  irs  close  he 
remarked  to  my  mother,  that  upon  a  certain  condition  he  would 
jump  from  the  top  of  the  house  (it  was  a  pretty  high  one),  into  a 
snow-bank  towering  in  front  of  the  window  near  which  she  sat 
sewing.  "Do  so  by  all  means!"  she  replied  jestingly,  at  the 
same  time  promising  to  partially  comply  with  the  condition ; 
but  she  did  not  for  an  instant  suppose  him  in  earnest,  and  con 
tinued  her  sewing.  Presently,  however,  he  disappeared  from 
the  room ;  in  a  few  minutes  the  window  was  suddenly  darkened, 
and  there  lay  Seargent  buried  in  the  huge  snow-bank !  My 
mother  rushed  out  almost  beside  herself  with  fright,  but  he  was 
uninjured. 

On  another  occasion  there  was  an  immense  spring  freshet, 
which  swept  away  most  of  the  bridges  in  the  town.  A 
large  crowd  had  collected  near  one  of  them  to  witness  the 
catastrophe,  Seargent  among  the  rest.  Already  the  body 
of  the  bridge  was  gone,  leaving,  however,  a  fragment,  which 
projected  far  over  the  raging  flood.  Lost  in  the  excitement 
of  the  scene,  he  crawled  out  and  perched  himself  upon  this 
extreme  verge.  There  he  sat  for  some  time,  perfectly  heed 
less  of  his  peril  and  of  the  remonstrances  of  the  crowd.  He 
had  scarcely  abandoned  the  spot,  when  the  whole  fell  in 
with  a  crash,  and  in  a  moment  was  seen  dashing  furiously 
down  the  current. 

For  the  following  reminiscences  of  him  during  this  period, 
the  reader  is  indebted  to  his  fellow  townsman  and  classmate 
in  college,  Wm.  T.  Hilliard,  Esq.,  of  Bangor,  Me. 

The  perusal  of  your  letter  tore  asunder  the  veil  that  years 
had  woven,  and  my  childhood  and  youth,  with  all  their  varied 
associations,  and  the  dear  and  cherished  companions  of  the  way, 
were  once  more  spread  out  before  me.  In  that  young  and 
joyous  company  I  still  see  my  early,  and  always,  friend, 


HIS    CHARACTER    AT    THE    ACADEMY.  31 

S.  S.  Prentiss.  Our  intercourse  commenced  at  Gorham  Academy 
under  the  tuition  of  the  venerable  Mr.  Nason.  At  this  period, 
no  one  could  be  with  your  brother,  for  any  length  of  time,  with 
out  remarking  a  peculiar  maturity  of  intellect.  Once  interest 
him,  and,  boy  as  he  was,  easy  and  indifferent  too,  as  he  fre 
quently  seemed,  he  would  surprise  you  with  his  promptness  and 
brilliancy,  and  perhaps  make  you  angry  by  his  sallies  of  caustic 
wit.  He  loved  sport,  and  engaged  with  zest  in  all  our  amuse 
ment?;  but,  even  when  aj:  play,  his  mind  seemed  at  work,  so  to 
express  it,  on  its  own  account.  I  do  not  mean  to  say  that  he 
was  absent-minded ;  but  his  mind  was  thinking,  active,  philoso 
phical.  He  had,  at  this  early  period,  an  inexhaustible  fund  of 
anecdote,  and  a  most  happy  mode  of  telling  a  story,  being 
peculiarly  effective  in  his  embellishments.  He  was,  at  times, 
terribly  sarcastic ;  but  he  would  cut  and  heal  at  one  and  the 
same  moment.  A  better,  more  feeling,  and  generous  heart 
never  beat.  Miscellaneous  reading  was  his  delight :  he  devoured 
history,  fiction,  biography,  &c.,  with  perfect  avidity.  I  never 
knew  one  so  young,  who  would  read  so  rapidly,  retain  so 
thoroughly,  or  so  readily  reproduce,  when  occasion  called.  The 
language  he  never  reproduced, — it  was  the  pith  and  sentiment 
which  he  had  made  his  own  property.  A  boy  in  his  feelings 
and  habits,  and  a  modest  boy  too,  he  could,  in  the  company  of 
men,  as  if  by  magic,  become  a  man  in  all  save  stature  and  years. 
When  no  one  was  present  but  myself,  or  perhaps  one  or  two 
other  intimate  friends,  he  would  often  suddenly  start  up,  and 
with  some  flourish,  and  as  if  addressing  a  jury,  or  an  audience, 
repeat  passages  from  speeches  and  poems,  not  infrequently 
extemporizing  withal.*  He  had  a  wonderful  command  of  his 
mother-tongue,  and  always  used  the  most  apt  and  appropriate 
words  to  express  the  ideas  he  intended  to  convey.  In  reading 


*  On  visiting,  not  long  since,  an  old  Gorham  neighbor,  he  remarked,  "  I'll  wage 
that  I  heard  the  first  stump  speech  Seargent  ever  made.  It  was  over  yonder, 
in  your  grandfather  Lewis's  old  orchard.  It  was  at  an  apple-gathering ;  there 
was  quite  a  company  of  us,  men  and  boys,  your  father  among  the  rest.  Of 
a  sudden,  Seargent  mounted  a  stump,  previous  to  the  shaking  of  a  tree,  and 
said  he  would  address  us.  We  were  all  attention,  of  course,  to  hear  what 
the  little  follow  had  to  offer.  He  began  thus,— 'My  friends,  you  must,  In  th* 


32  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PREXTIS3. 

the  dead  languages,  which  he  did  with  much  fluency,  he  never 
troubled  himself  about  a  literal  translation,  but  would  read  off 
a  sentence  in  the  original,  and  then  clothe  it  in  an  ample,  grace 
ful,  yet  correct  English  drapery,  seeming  all  the  while,  as  if  by 
intuition,  to  seize  the  intent  and  meaning  of  his  author.  There 
was  about  him,  withal,  an  atmosphere  of  easy  and  brilliant 
joyousness — I  speak  now  generally,  because  I  never  knew,  and 
probably  there  never  was,  a  mind  moulded  like  his  bur.  ha-1  its 
dark  and  bitter  hours,  full  of  gloom  and  despondency.  This*  was 
sometimes  the  case  with  him;  but  his  strong  common  swnse, 
and  indomitable  will,  soon  dispersed  the  clouds.  There  was 
another  trait  of  his  character,  as  a  boy,  which  I  may  have  hinted 
at  before — I  mean  his  coolness  and  self-possession.  One  could 
scarcely  find  him  unprepared  for  a  reply,  prompt  and  to  the 
purpose. 

In  the  autumn  of  1824,  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  he  entered 
Bowdoin  College,  then  under  the  presidency  of  the  Rev. 
Wm.  Allen,  D.D.  From  motives  of  economy,  he  joined  the 
junioi  class,  having  gone  through  the  studies  of  the  first 
and  second  years  at  the  Academy  ;  a  wretched  practice, 
which  nothing  but  stern  necessity  can  ever  justify.  He 
always  regretted  it,  as  also  that  he  went  to  College  so 
young. 

Professor  Packard  has  kindly  furnished  the  following 
interesting  reminiscence  : — 

I  remember,  with  perfect  distinctness,  the  examination  of 
your  brother  for  the  junior  standing.  He  was  very  youthful  in 
his  appearance,  and  feeling  mach  sympathy  with  him  on  account 


first  place,  set  your  faces  like  a  flint  towards  the  butt  of  the  tree.'  He  then 
went  on,  as  fast  as  his  tongue  could  move,  for  half  an  hour,  or  more,  in  a 
speech  which  astonished  us;  I  never  heard  a  boy  talk  as  he  did  that  after 
noon,  beforo  or  since.  Your  father  was  perfectly  delighted."  His  son,  who 
was  one  of  the  boys  at  the  apple-gathering,  gave  the  same  account  of  tho 
•peech. 


IS    EXAMINED    TO    ENTER    COLLEGE.  33 

of  liis  physical  infirmity,  as  also  on  account  of  Ids  youth  and  the 
severe  examination  required  for  one  to  enter  two  years  in 
advance,  I  was  disposed  to  be  very  gentle  with  him  in  my 
opening,  lest  he  might  become  embarrassed.  But  I  found,  at 
the  outset,  that  he  did  not  need  any  forbearance  at  the  hands 
of  his  examiners.  With  entire  composure,  and  almost  as  if  in  a 
playful  mood,  with  remarkable  readiness,  clearness,  precision, 
and  fullness,  he  passed  the  trial  in  languages,  and  in  mathe 
matics  ;  for  in  the  condition  of  the  College,  at  that  time,  it  fell 
to  my  lot  to  have  a  hand  in  both  branches.  The  testimony  of 
all  the  examiners  to  the  high  promise  shown  by  that  examina 
tion,  was  full,  and  I  cannot  recall  an  instance  of  an  examination, 
which,  considering  the  extent  of  it — embracing  a  dozen  separate 
authors  and  subjects — has,  during  the  many  years  of  my  concern 
in  such  scenes,  been  so  successful  and  triumphant.  That  scene 
is  so  indelibly  fixed  on  my  memory,  thar,  were  I-  a  painter,  I 
could  give  a  drawing  of  the  fixtures,  and  the  persons,  at  the 
time  in  the  apparatus-room  of  the  Medical  College.  Your 
brother's  collegiate  course  was  a  brilliant  one,  and  I  often  said, 
that  it  was  one  of  the  few  instances,  in  College  life,  of  decided 
indications  of  future  success  and  eminence.  He  exhibited 
talents,  which  we  used  to  think  would  ensure  him  all  he  might 
aspire  after,  in  a  Western  or  Southern  career.  His  remarkable 
facility  in  debate,  and  his  wit  and  humor,  were  manifested  in 
College  scenes. 

His  letters  home,  written  while  in  College,  give  few 
details  respecting  his  studies  ;  but  they  are  replete  with 
expressions  of  filial  love,  and  also  of  the  eager  restlessness 
with  which  he  was  already  looking  forward  to  the  battle  of 
life.  In  the  winter  of  1825-6  both  these  feelings  were 
greatly  increased  by  the  death  of  his  father  ;  an  event 
which  made  an  indelible  impression  upon  the  whole  house 
hold,  and  excited  in  Seargent  a  sentiment  of  filial  and  fra 
ternal  responsibility,  which  waxed  in  strength  and  tender- 
nee  s  to  the  day  of  his  own  death. 

2* 


34  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    PBENTISS. 

In  reference  to  his  college  course,  Mr.  Hilliaid  remarks, 
in  the  communication  already  cited  : — 

Although  the  College  Government  had  a  high  estimate  of  hid 
abilities,  his  classmates, — who  knew  him  intimately,  and  who 
generally  are  the  most  competent  judges, — assigned  him  a  much 
higher  place  than  his  tutors.  He  felt  no  anxiety  about  his 
standing  in  his  class,  and  made  no  extraordinary  exertion  in  any 
particular  branch  of  study.  He  excelled  in  metaphysical  investi 
gations.  I  well  remember  when  we  were  reading  Butler's 
Analogy \  which  to  most  students  is  no  play,  he  seemed  to  give 
it  about  as  much  time  as  an  ordinary  mind  would  spend  on  a 
book  of  travels  or  a  novel ;  but  he  made  both  the  matter  and  the 
mode  of  reasoning  completely  his  own.  The  fact  is.  everything 
he  did  was,  °r  at  least  appeared  to  be,  free  from  unnatural  or 
violent  effort.  He  never  thrust  himself  forward,  but  when  sum 
moned,  and  the  necessity  was  upon  him,  like  a  young  Samson, 
he  felt  his  strength,  and  failed  not  to  make  others  feel  it.  As  to 
his  oratorical  powers,  which  the  event  showed  he  possessed  in 
such  perfection,  college  is  a  poor  place  for  their  development. 
I  can  iK)w  remember  two  or  three  instances,  perhaps  more,  in 
the  presence  of  some  six  or  eight  of  his  classmates,  when  he 
gave  indications  of  a  fine  embryo  debater. 

Another  classmate*  writes  : — 

My  recollections  of  your  brother,  while  at  college,  are  still 
very  distinct,  and  of  fhe  most  agreeable  kind,  His  youthful 
face,  with  its  bright,  sparkling  expression;  his  irresistible 
humor;  the  manly  spirit  which  he  ever  exhibited;  and  his 
physical  energy,  even  with  the  lameness  under  which  he 
labored;  are,  at  this  distant  day,  vividly  before  me. 

I  believe  I  can  truly  say,  that  nearly  all  the  shining  qualities, 
both  of  mind  and  heart,  which  distinguished  his  brilliant  career, 
w*  ^  exhibited  at  this  early  period  of  life. 


*  John  T.  Oilman,  M.D.,  Portland. 


THE    SPOUTEROI    CLCJB.  35 

Still  another  writes  : — 

The  presence  of  your  beloved  brother  s  still  vivid :  the 
characteristic  energy  of  his  mien,  his  familiar  manners,  conver 
sational  enthusiasm,  uniform  flow  of  spirits,  wonderful  fluency 
of  speech,  exuberant  fancy  of  diction,  sparkling  wit,  sarcastic 
retort,  as  well  as  humorous  repartee,  are  stereotyped  in  the 
memory  ;  but  the  wear  and  tear  of  life  has  obliterated  nearly  all 
particular  incidents  and  details.  The  only  little  spot  yet  green 
in  our  classic  Olympiad  is  your  brother's  connection  with  a 
small  club  of  kindred  spirits.  It  was  formed  in  our  junior  year, 
and  consisted  of  six  classmates,  never  more,  never  less:  we  were 
brother  Peucinians,  and  that  was  an  additional  bond  of  union. 
Our  first  object  was,  improvement  in  extemporaneous  speaking  ; 
we  wanted  something  more  frequent,  and  more  familiar,  too, 
than  the  opportunities  presented  by  the  college  societies.  We 
luid  no  constitution,  no  officers,  no  by-laws !  We  met  regularly 
in  each  other's  rooms;  the  occupant  was  the  presiding  officer  of 
the  evening:  lie  assigned  a  subject  for  present  discussion,  and 
literary  exercises  for  the  subsequent  meeting. 

The  only  law  that  we  had  was,  that  every  member,  nolens 
volens,  should  take  part  in  the  debate.  As  the  topic  was  not 
made  known  till  the  moment  for  discussion,  there  was,  of  course, 
no  opportunity  for  preparation.  In  this  respect  our  forensic 
exercise  was  strictly  ex  tempore,  and  not  like  many,  now  so 
called,  conned  by  midnight  lamp  and  delivered  memoriter.  The 
stimulus,  in  the  absence  of  fines  and  penalties,  was  a  cigar,  which 
the  officer,  ex  loco,  was  expected  to  provide. 

The  names  of  those  who  composed  our  little  coterie,  were  as 
follows :  WTilliarn  Appleton,  the  brother  of  Mrs.  President 
Pierce,  early  cut  off  by  death  from  a  life  of  promise,* — Leonard 


*  William  Appleton  was  my  brother's  "chum"  during  his  last  year  in  college, 
and  one  of  his  most  intimate  and  beloved  friends.  He  accompanied  him  home  to 
spend  the  vacation  preceding  Commencement,  and  charmed  the  whol?  household 
as  well  as  neighboring  families,  by  his  gentlemanly  bearing  and  quiet,  scholar-like 
tastes.  His  name,  for  many  years,  was  closely  associated  with  that  of  my  brother, 


36  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PREXTISS. 

Apthorp,  of  Boston,  one  of  the  best  scholars  and  writers  of  the 
class  of  1826;  his  contributions  to  the  Boston  Galaxy  (now 
Courier}  were  well  known;  especially  his  Miseries  of  a  Country 
Schoolmaster, — Isaac  McLellan,  of  Boston,  the  poet, — William 
Paine,  Esq.,  present  Marshal  of  Maine,— and  your  brother,  who 
witli  the  writer,  made  the  complement.  For  want  of  a  name 
sufficiently  significant  of  the  forensic  and  social  character  of  this 
little  band,  we  had  to  manufacture.  None  but  a  classic  one 
would  do,  therefore,  a  Greek  termination  was  added  to  a  Saxon 
root,  and  ZnovTepoi  (Spouteroi)  was  adopted. 

We  had  other  exercises  in  our  weekly  meetings ;  I  well  recol 
lect  a  burlesque  composition  your  brother  introduced  on  one 
occasion,  descriptive  of  the  explosion  of  a  torpedo.  The  usual 
monotony  of  college  life  had  been  disturbed  by  an  incident  of 
this  kind,  to  the  great  excitement  of  the  Faculty,  and  the  per 
sonal  danger  of  some  officers  and  students.  The  circumstances 
of  time  and  place  were  detailed  with  much  minuteness, — the 
state  of  the  college  halls, — the  hour,  that  noon  of  night  when 
thought  mounts  her  zenith  with  the  stars! — the  relative  position 
of  the  heavenly  luminaries, — the  ominous  forebodings  of  the 
celestial  signs  were  portrayed  in  a  grandiloquent  style, — the 
very  elements  were  described  as  hushed  in  consternation  ;  the 
heavens  were  hung  in  black  in  anticipation  of  the  denoument  of 
the  tragedy ;  the  stars,  as  if  conscious  of  the  plot,  watched  the 
progress  of  the  fearful  catastrophe,  and  ever  and  anon  were 


with  whom  he  kept  up  an  affectionate  correspondence  until  his  lamented  death, 
which  occurred,  I  think,  at  Cincinnati  in  1830,  at  the  age  of  twenty-two. 

His  father,  the  Rev.  Jesse  Appleton,  D.D.,  second  President  of  BowdoSn  College, 
was  one  of  the  most  profound  religious  thinkers  of  his  day.  His  ethical  and 
theological  writings  exhibit  more  of  the  peculiar  spirit  and  method  of  Bishop 
Butler  than,  perhaps,  those  of  any  other  American  divine. 

The  lady,  whose  letter  has  already  been  quoted,  writes  : — 

"I  never  knew  a  face,  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  that  expressed  such  intellectual 
power  and  beauty  as  Seargent's.  It  was  the  perfect  mirror  of  a  bright,  glowing 
and  versatile  mind.  No  one  could  see  it  without  reading  in  every  feature  the 
signs  of  genius.  I  recollect  his  being  at  our  village  church  with  h's  friend,  young 
Appleton,  when  a  lady,  sitting  beside  me,  called  my  attention  to  them,  and  observed 
that,  she  had  never  seen  two  such  remarkably  intellectual-looking  youv.g  men' 
'  Surely,'  said  she, '  they  are  destined  to  play  some  striking  part  on  the  stage  of 
life."' 


JUDGE  PIERCE'S  REMINISCENCES.  37 

Been,  here  and  there,  peeping  out  from  behind  the  clouds  to 
witness  the  consummation  and  be  'in  at  the  death!' 

In  his  connection  with  this  Club,  your  brothers  fine  intellec 
tual  and  social  qualities  appeared  in  all  their  force  and  beauty.* 

Immediately  upon  leaving  college,  he  commenced  the 
study  of  Law,  in  the  office  of  Hon.  Josiah  Pierce,  of  Gor- 
harn,  now  Judge  of  Probate  ;  a  gentleman,  whose  many 
noble  qualities  of  head  and  heart  won  from  him  a  strong  and 
lasting  regard. 

Judge  Pierce  has  furnished  the  following  reminiscences  : 

When  I  first  knew  your  gifted  brother,  he  was  a  young  boy, 
attending  the  Academy  in  Gorham.  I  had  no  particular 
acquaintance  with  him  at  that  time ;  I  used  occasionally  to  visit 
the  school,  and  was  struck  with  his  appearance,  and  manner  of 
reciting  his  lessons;  he  was  sprightly,  and  evinced  that  his  per 
ceptive  faculties  were  unusually  quick  and  discriminating.  I  had 
known  and  highly  esteemed  his  parents;  and,  therefore,  felt  an 
interest  in  their  son.  For  a  short  period,  previous  to  his  enter 
ing  college,  Seargent  and  myself  boarded  in  the  same  family. 
I  then  found  him  sportive,  mirthful,  ready  and  sharp  at  retorts, 
full  of  good  humor  and  kind  feelings,  possessing  an  exuberant 
imagination,  and  vivid  perception  of  the  ludicrous.  His  irony 
was  polished  and  keen,  but  never  malevolent. 

While  an  undergraduate  of  Bowdoin  College,  I  had  few  oppor 
tunities  of  seeing  him,  or  of  knowing  much  about  his  acquire 
ments.  He  graduated  on  the  first  Wednesday  of  September, 
1826,  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  and  on  the  20th  of  the  same 
month,  entered  my  office  as  a  student  of  Law.  He  also  boarded 
in  my  family.  Mrs.  P.  and  myself  soon  became  much  attached 
to  him,  and  that  attachment  never,  afterwards,  suffered  any 
diminution.  Though  several  years  my  junior,  we  lived  as  equals, 
and  felt  as  brothers.  lie  speedily  proved  himself  a  delightful 
companion,  possessed  of  warmth  and  purity  of  feelings,  and 
deeply  sympathizing  in  the  weal  and  woes  of  others.  As  an 

*  Charles  Lord,  Esq,.,  of  Portland. 


MEMOIR    OF    S     S.    PRENTISS. 

instance  of  the  latter,  I  would  state,  that  soon  after  Seargent 
became  a  member  of  our  family,  Mrs.  Pierce  had  a  sister  die  in 
our  village.  I  was  absent  from  town  during  her  sickness.  Your 
brother  tfien  showed  himself  to  be  a  friend  to  the  afflicted.  He 
did  all  that  the  nearest  relative  could  have  done  on  the  sad  occa 
sion  ;  he  participated  in  our  sorrows,  and  his  attention  and  ser 
vices  to  Mrs.  P.  and  the  mourning  family  of  her  sister,  were 
nn remitting,  and  were  performed  in  the  most  kind  and  delicate 
manner.  Those  services  and  that  sympathy  we  ever  held,  and 
still  hold,  in  grateful  remembrance. 

While  he  resided  with  me,  his  habits  were  unexceptionable. 
He  usually  passed  his  evenings  at  the  house,  and  mingled  with 
zest  in  all  our  little  family  parties  and  social  gatherings;  he 
would  read  aloud,  and  was  fond  of  playing  chess,  also  draughts, 
or  checkers. 

While  living  with  us,  he  occasionally  went  a  gunning— but 
more  frequently  a  fishing  to  our  rivers  and  small  streams.  He 
was  a  frequent  and  successful  trout-catcher,  and  sometimes 
boasted  of  being  a  true  disciple  of  old  Izaak  Walton.  There  was 
one  brook,  that  contained  many  trouts ;  it  had  been  one  of  the 
favorite  haunts  of  his  boyhood.  To  that  stream  he  often 
resorted. 

Your  brother  had  quite  a  taste  for  natural  beauties,  and 
delighted  on  fine  afternoons  in  autumn  to  ramble  in  the  wood 
lands,  or  climb  high  hills,  and  in  vivid  language  express  the 
pleasure  he  derived  from  viewing  the  beautiful  rolling  country, 
and  the  rich  and  highly  colored  foliage  of  our  October  forests. 
He  interested  himself  in  plants  and  flowers,  and  we  have  yet. 
flourishing  in  our  garden  in  Gorham,  a  wild  rose  bush  that  bears 
.deep  green,  polished  leaves,  which  he  took  from  the  forest,  and 
planted  near  our  windows  with  his  own  hand.  It  is  a  beautiful 
memorial,  with  which  we  should  be  ^ery  unwilling  to  part. 

He  was  fond  of  poetry,  and  while  with  us,  wrote  several 
stones  in  rhyme;  he  made,  too,  quite  a  collection  of  old  ballads 
and  uncouth  verses,  written  by  unlearned  men  on  occasions  of 
fires,  shipwrecks  and  other  accidents.  In  my  office,  he  read 
law  studiously  in  the  former  part  of  the  day,  but  in  the  after 
noon  perused  other  works.  The  writings  of  Walter  Scott,  Wash 


LETTERS    FROM   HIS    FRIEND   APPLETOtf.  39 

ington  Irving,  Cooper,  and  Byron,  afforded  him  much  amuse* 
ment  and  pleasant  instruction.  His  favorite  author  was  Sliak- 
spere,  and  I  think  a  week  never  passed  without  his  perusing 
more  or  less  of  the  productions  of  the  great  dramatist.  He  read 
with  wonderful  rapidity,  and  seemed  to  gather,  by  intuition,  the 
prominent  facts  and  incidents  of  every  book  he  looked  through. 
He  passed  over  a  book  so  quickly,  and  at  the  same  time  so 
unclerstandingly,  that  a  fellow  pupil  once  observed :  "  Prentiss 
reads  two  pages  at  the  same  time,  one  with  Ms  right  eye,  and  the 
other  with  his  left." 

He  quickly  made  himself  master  of  the  common  office  busi 
ness;  and  I  soon  perceived  that  he  possessed  the  qualifications 
required  for  eminence  as  an  advocate.  His  memory  was  aston 
ishingly  tenacious,  his  imagination  warm  and  prolific;  he 
reasoned  with  great  accuracy  and  logical  force,  while  his  power 
of  illustration  seemed  exhaustless.  He  was  generous  and  high- 
minded,  despising  all  meanness,  and  loved  to  satirize  folly,  and 
ridicule  affectation. 

When  he  left  Maine  for  the  West,  he  hoped  to  better  his  for 
tunes,  and  acquire  fame  in  his  profession ;  at  that  time,  I  think,  he 
had  little  ambition  for  political  life.  To  him  it  was  painful  to 
leave  his  home  for  a  distant  land,  and  yet  there  was  in  it  some 
thing  romantic,  which  suited  his  disposition.  He  had  confidence 
in  his  own  success,  and  thought,  that  in  a  few  years,  he  should 
return  to  New  England  with  a  competency  of  property,  and  a 
well-established  reputation  as  a  lawyer. 

His  part  of  the  correspondence  with  his  classmate  Apple- 
ton,  is  missing.  But  the  following  extracts  from  his  friend's 
letters  to  him,  while  he  was  in  the  office  of  Judge  Pierce, 
will,  in  some  degree,  supply  its  place. 

WILLIAM     APPLETON    TO     S.    S.    PKENTISS. 

AMHKRST,  N.  H.,  February  23,  182T. 

MY  DEAK  CHUM: 

I  am  very  much  obliged  to  you  for  your  last 
letter,  but  was  a  good  deal  amused  at  the  moralizing  tone  which 
was  preserved  through  the  whole  of  it,  as  I  had  always  con- 


40  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

sidered  you,  of  all  my  acquaintance,  the  one  luoi.t  calculated  ta 
enjoy  life.  Pardon  me  for  saying  that  I  think  it  rather  foolish 
for  a  person  whose  prospects  for  the  future  are  as  bright  as 
yours  (and  I  really  think  that  you  have  a  better  right  to  enter 
tain  high  expectations  than  almost  any  of  your  classmates),  to 
rail  at  the  world  and  permit  a  few  scurvy  blue-devils  to  take 
away  the  comfort  of  your  existence.  The  world  is  good  enough 
for  any  of  its  inhabitants;  at  any  rate  we  have  no  reason  to 
expect  an  Expurgata  edition  of  it,  compared  and  revised,  and  as 
we  cannot  hope  that  it  will  change  its  organization  to  adapt 
itself  to  our  wishes,  we  had  better  try  to  make  the  necessary 
change  in  ourselves,  that  we  may  fall  in  with  it.  You  talk  a 
good  deal  about  the  complying  easiness  of  my  disposition.  I 
consider  it  as  one  of  the  greatest  misfortunes  of  my  life,  that  I 
have  gone  to  extremes  in  that  respect.  I  have  never  scolded 
about  the  world  much,  because  I  unfortunately  have  always 
found,  on  the  slightest  examination,  that  much  the  greatest  num 
ber  of  my  troubles  I  am  to  thank  myself  for,  and  I  have  not 
possessed  energy  and  perseverance  enough  to  remove  the  causes. 
But  our  cases  are  materially  different.  I  have  a  right  to  be  low- 
spirited  if  I  will.  But  you  have  no  possible  reason  for  being  so ; 
leaving  college  and  entering  on  the  study  of  a  profession,  as  you 
did,  with  a  high  reputation  both  for  talents  and  scholarship,  and 
with  a  fluency  of  speech  which  is  almost  enough  in  itself  to 
ensure  one  success  at  the  bar. 

The  Court  of  Common  Pleas  has  been  sitting  in  this  town 
for  the  last  week,  but  has  been  enlivened  by  no  interesting  trial. 
The  bar  of  this  county  contains  no  very  brilliant  orators,  and 
there  is  scarcely  ever  a  plea  worth  hearing  even  in  the  Superior 
Court,  except  those  of  the  Attorney-General  (Mr.  Sullivan).  I 
am  still  engaged  in  wallowing  in  the  deep  mire  of  old  Coke's 
Commentary,  and  shall,  I  assure  you,  be  really  rejoiced  when  1 
finish  it.  There  is  unquestionably  a  good  deal  of  valuable  law 
knowledge  contained  in  it,  but  it  requires  the  patience  of  Job  to 
extricate  it  irom  me  ona«u  atiro  In  which  it  is  arrayed.  You 
have  before  this,  I  suppose,  read  through  half  the  elementary 
works  ;  but  I  find  that  I  am  obliged  to  read  very  slowly  to  effect 


A   REFORMATION.  41 

anything,  and  after  all  find  myself  most  .amentably  ignorant  oi 
•what  I  have  been  reading. 

I  have  some  expectation  of  a  visit  from  T next  week.  I 

had  a  letter  from  him  a  short  time  since,  and  was  surprised  at  the 
common-sense  manner  in  which  it  was  written.  He  says  that 
he  has  discarded  Lord  Byron  and  phrenology  "  in  toto,"  and 
gives  Tom  Paine  to  the  devil,  who,  he  dt»ubts  not,  has  long  ere 
this  boiled  him  down  to  the  consistency  of  calves'-foot  jelly. 
He  says  that  he  "has  determined  to  be  a  minister,  and  shall  begin 
the  study  on  leaving  college."  He  mentions  hearing  from  you 
not  long  before  he  wrote.  He  has  been  teaching  school.  I  am 
in  daily  expectation  of  a  letter  from  McLellan,  although  he  is 
very  little  to  be  calculated  upon,  from  his  carelessness  about 
writing.  He  still  unites  the  professions  of  law  and  poetry.  As 
the  stage  has  just  arrived,  I  beg  you  will  excuse  me  one  moment 
while  I  run  to  the  post  office  to  see  if  any  letters  have  arrived. 
[Five  minutes  after.] — Not  a  line  nor  a  syllable  from  any  of  my 
friends,  not  even  a  newspaper  to  console  me  in  some  measure 
for  the  disappointment ;  so  I  will  proceed  with  my  letter. 

I  had  a  letter  from  Hilliard  the  next  day  after  I  received 
yours,  although  the  dates  of  the  letters  differed  more  than  a 
week.  The  delay  of  yours  was  owing  to  your  not  directing  it 
"  via  Boston,"  as  did  Hilliard.  I  wish  that  you  would  do  so  in 
future,  as  I  want  to  get  your  letters  as  soon  as  possible.  Hil 
liard  mentioned  that  he  expected  a  visit  from  Farrar.  Remem 
ber  me  very  particularly  to  him  if  you  see  him.  Your  description 
of  our  jovial  times  while  in  college,  thrilled  through  my  very 
heart-strings.  As  our  friend  Ossian  very  well  observes,  "the 
memory  of  joys  that  are  past  are  pleasant  and  mournful  to  the 
soul." 

I  wish  I  knew  the  line  which  rhymes  to 

"  Yes,  they  were  happy  days  but  they  are  fled." 

and  I  would  give  you  as  pretty  a  little  quotation  off-hand  as  you 
have  seen  for  some  time.  I  have  grown  most  extravagantly 
sentimental  lately,  to  qualify  myself  to  talk  to  our  girls,  whose 
conversation  is  divided  between  sentiment  and  scandal ;  so  yoU 
must  not  laugh  if  I  do  sometimes  quote  poetry  just  by  way  of 


42  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    PRINTISS. 

keeping  n.y  hand  in.  The  topics  of  con\ersation  among  th« 
Gorliam  belles  are  not,  I  hope,  so  limited.  Tell  Hilliard  that  I 
shall  answer  his  letter  very  soon.  My  respects  to  your  family 
and  all  my  other  friends. 

Ever  yours  affectionately, 

WM.  APPLETON. 

Write  as  soon  as  you  can  possibly  with  convenience.     Remem 
ber  me  to  Capt.  R.'s  cigar-box. 


FEOM     THE     SAME     TO     THE     SAME. 

LONDONDERRY,  N.  H.,  May  6, 1827. 

WELL,  CHUM. 

I  will  again  endeavor  to  hammer  out  my  small 
ideas  to  cover  three  pages  of  letter  paper.  I  received  your 
epistle,  by  due  course  of  mail,  with  the  pleasure  that  I  always 
feel  in  hearing  from  you.  Since  writing  to  you  I  have  cut 
Blackstone  and  the  law,  and  am  now  a  sober,  plodding  peda 
gogue.  My  stipend  is,  of  course,  increased  with  the  time  that  I 
spend  in  instruction.  Thirty  dollars  per  month  for  teaching 
scholars  what  I  never  knew  myself;  next  term  I  shall  have 
thirty-five  dollars.  I  had  some  thoughts  of  accepting  an  offer  of 
a  school  in  Baltimore,  which  would  bring  me  in  something  like 
six  or  seven  hundred  dollars  a-year,  but  concluded  that  my  age, 
and  other  reasons,  would  make  my  present  situation  preferable. 
In  case  I  had  accepted,  I  should  have  been  obliged  to  take 
the  superintendence  of  a  large  and,  for  aught  I  know,  a  turbu 
lent  school. 

u  I  am  very  sorry  that  you  are  so  much  disposed  to  submit  to 
the  dominion  of  the  blue-devils,  and  I  know  of  no  reason  for 
your  giving  up  yourself  to  their  tyranny.  With  regard  to  your 
scheme  of  a  Western  expedition,  I  know  of  no  reason  why  it 
should  not  succeed,  f  you  feel  disposed  to  settle  so  far  from  your 
friends.  That  consideration  would,  I  should  think,  have  consi 
derable  weight  with'  you— it  certainly  would  with  me.  I  hope 
you  have  given  up  all  idea  of  going  off,  however.  Talents  and 
perseverance  will  succeed  anywhere ;  and  Maine,  if  we  may 


OLD    COLLEGE    FRIENDS.  43 

judge  by  the  numbers  of  professional  men  that  emigrate  there, 
presents  a  fair  field  for  exertion.  It'  I  should  ever  be  ad'nitted 
to  the  bar,  I  think  I  shall  nail  up  my  shingle  in  some  back  town, 
where  there  are  good  mill  privileges,  and  trust  to  Providence 
for  an  influx  of  clients  and  business.  I  shall  pursue  my  present 
occupation  at  least  two  years,  I  think,  as  I  have  no  desire  to 
become  a  lawyer  until  I  have  arrived  at  the  legal  age  of  discre 
tion. 

"I  suppose  Hilliard  is  still  at  Warren;  I  am  expecting  a  letter 
from  him  every  day.  Do  you  know  whether  Lord  has  returned 
home?  I  directed  a  letter  for  him  to  New  York  some  time 
since,  which  was,  however,  I  fear,  too  late.  I  had  a  letter  from 

T a  short  time  since,  in  which  he  inquires  after  yon.     He  will 

return  to  Brunswick  next  term,  to  take  his  degree.     He  tells  me 

very  soberly  that  he  is  engaged  to  "  an  excellent  girl  in  N .' 

I  shall  write  him  a  letter  of  congratulation  on  the  event  and,  also, 
on  the  common-sense  style  that  characterizes  his  letter.  This 
excellent  girl,  whose  name  I  don't  know,  will,  I  hope,  sober  him 
down  into  an  every-day  sort  of  man.  If  some  strange  and  fool 
ish  traits  in  his  character  were  smoothed  down  a  little,  he  has 
talents  enough  to  enable  him  to  make  quite  a  figure  in  the 
world. 

John  Cleveland  is  keeping  school  within  twenty  miles  of  me, 
at  Andover. 

Time  creeps  with  me  very  much,  about  these  days.  I  have 
no  acquaintances  to  visit,  and  no  books  to  read  out  of  school 
hours.  If  it  were  not  for  Sir  Walter  Raleigh's  discovery,  I 
should  have  a  most  miserable  time;  .but  I  find  tobacco-smoke  an 
infallible  specific  against  blue-devils,  as  well  as  the  mosquitoes. 
I  wish,  chum,  you  could  contrive  some  means  of  visiting  here. 

The  preceptor  whom  1  assist,  is  a  very  pleasant  and  sociable 
man.  His  family  is  about  the  only  one  that  I  visit.  This  is 
very  dull  for  me — to  whom  existence,  without  intercourse  of 
friends  to  enliven  it,  was  always  a  burden.  Study  occupies  some 
of  my  leisure  time;  but  you  know,  by  experience,  how  hard  it 
is  to  bend  one's  mind  down  to  study  after  spending  six  hours  in 
that  confuser  of  ideas,  a  public  school.  I  am  obliged  to  study 


44  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

some,  however,  as  there  are  several  scholars  in  Greek,  and  J 
never  possessed  a  tolerable  knowledge  of  the  language,  and  long 
ago  forgot  what  little  I  ever  knew.  My  Latin,  I  find,  holds  by 
me  better;  so  that  I  can  about  always  explain  a  hard  sentence 
to  an  inquiring  scholar.  There  are  two  or  three  scholars  in  Geo 
metry  and  Nat.  Phil.;  and,  that  I  might  not  show  my  ignorance, 
I  rattled  off  so  about  angles,  and  sides,  and  the  attraction  of  gra 
vitation,  and  Sir  Isaac  Newton  and  the  apple,  and  solids,  and 
fluids,  and  convergent  and  divergent  rays,  that,  I  verily  believe, 
the  fellows  thought  me  a  sort  of  prodigy ;  when,  in  truth,  if  a 
person  who  knew  anything  about  the  matter,  had  been  present, 
he  would  have  laughed  in  my  face.  I,  as  well  as  the  scholars, 
am  impatiently  expecting  the  vacation,  which  commences  in  a 
day  or  two,  and  lasts  three  weeks.  So  your  next  letter,  if 
written  within  two  or  three  weeks,  must  be  directed  to 
Amherst. 

I  shall  send  you  a  catalogue  of  this  academy — not  that  I  have 
the  slightest  idea  that  you  care  anything  about  it,  but  in  order 
to  dispose  of  one,  out  of  twenty  which  the  boys  have  handed  to 
me.  You  will  light  some  cigars  with  it,  and  when  you  use  the 
third  page  for  that  purpose,  let  tender  recollections  come 
athwart  your  mind  of  your  absent  friend. 

I  will  however,  bore  you  no  longer.  Remember  me  to  all  my 
friends  in  your  quarter.  My  respects  to  your  mother  and 
family. 

Your  affectionate  Quondam, 

APPLETON. 


FKOM  THE  SAME  TO  THE  SAME. 

LONDONDERRY,  June  26, 1827. 
BEAK  CHUM  : — 

While  I  was  writing  those  two  words  the  con 
founded  bell  of  the  academy  tolled  a  death-note  to  the  hopes  1 
had  of  writing  to  you  by  this  morning's  mail ;  but  I  will  try  if 
I  can  prepare  a  letter  in  readiness  for  the  next  I  continue  to 


PSOPHECY  OF  THE  HUNDRED  THOUSAND  DOLLAR  CASE.        45 

doze  on  in  my  usual  torpid  state — a  state  which  a  campaign  in 
school-keeping  will  produce  in  any  one;  I  am  now  so  accustomed 
to  it  that  it  does  not  make  me,  as  at  first,  positively  miserable, 
and,  I  am  sure,  it  can  never  make  me  more  than  negatively 
happy. 

I  doubt  not  that  you  will  succeed  well  in  the  Western  States ; 
indeed,  I  think  the  chance  of  success  so  much  greater  there  than 
in  New  England,  that,  if  it  were  not  for  one  or  two  reasons,  I 
should  almost  be  tempted  to  accompany  you. 

I  heard  from  our  friend  T yesterday.  He  has  entered  col 
lege  again,  and  appears  to  be  as  much  as  ever  dissatisfied  with 
things  about  him.  He  said  he  should  write  you  soon  ;  confirms 
what  he  formerly  wrote  me  about  his  engagement :  and  says  he 
shall  commence  the  study  of  divinity  immediately  upon  leaving 
college,  with  one  of  the  Episcopalian  bishops !  I  am  sorry  to 
hear,  by  a  letter  from  Lord,  that  his  former  complaints  have,  of 
late,  somewhat  disturbed  him;  he  says,  if  they  increase,  he  shall, 
probably,  cross  the  Atlantic.  What  a  grand  thing  this  money  is, 
chum!  as  you  will  experience  when  you  gain  your  hundred- 
thousand-dollar  case,  purely  by  the  force  of  your  eloquence, 
with  neither  law  nor  reason  on  your  side.  You  still,  I  suppose, 
find  your  cigar  a  never-failing  refuge  in  your  troubles.  I  don't 
know  how  I  should  be  able  to  support  existence  without  some 
such  comforter — not  that  it  gives  me  any  positive  pleasure  to 
smoke,  but  it  deadens  the  acuteness  of  my  feelings  whenever 
anything  happens  to  trouble  me. 

You  have,  by  this  time,  become  quite  a  proficient  in  legal  lore, 
I  imagine.  I  left  the  study  before  I  had  gone  any  further  than 
the  rudiments,  and  the  very  little  that  I  learned  I  have  for 
gotten.  I  shall  not  recommence  the  study  if  I  can  continue  in 
my  present  situation,  or  obtain  another  as  eligible,  for  a  year  at 
least ;  at  the  end  of  that  time  I  hope  to  be  more  able  to  pene 
trate  its  mysteries. 

A  very  large  proportion  of  our  class  are  studying  law,  I 
should  think.  I  shall  have  an  opportunity  of  seeing  their 
success  before  I  attempt  the  practice.  Bob  S  is  in  Andover 
Institution  !  He  must  make  a  most  dignified  appearance  among 


46  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

the  black-bearded,  long-whiskered  students  of  divinity,  whose 
age  averages  at  least  twenty-five  years.  Cleaveland  is  studying 
law  in  Andover;  and  Jonas  we  pedagogues  rank  in  our  frater 
nity.  I  know  not  how  it  is,  but  I  feel  a  great  interest  in  all  my 
class-mates,  though  there  were  but  two  or  three  that,  while  in 
college,  I  ever  cared  a  copper  about,  or  who,  I  have  reason  to 
think,  held  me  at  that  value.  If  I  could  meet  any  member  ot 
the  Spouteroi,  I  should  feel  in  the  seventh  heaven. 

Judge  Pierce  alludes  to  his  fondness  for  the  writings  of 
Sir  Walter  Scott.  Large  portions  of  Scott's  poetry  he 
early  coramitt ed  to  memory.  The  introduction  to  Canto  III. 
of  Marmion,  was  a  great  favorite  with  him.  A  portion  of 
it  deserves  to  be  quoted,  as  the  lines,  by  some  subtle  link 
of  association,  became  indissolubly  connected  with  his  recol 
lections  of  New  England,  and  the  home  of  his  boyhood. 
Those  who  heard  him  recite  them,  many  years  afterwards, 
cannot  have  forgotten  the  subdued  and  gentle  spirit  in 
which  he  did  it.  As  by  an  enchanter's  wand,  they  seemed 
to  unseal  the  mystic  fountain  of  memory,  and  the  wafers 
gushed  C'.l 

But  say,  ray  Erskine,  hast  thou  weighed 
That  secret  power  by  all  obeyed, 
Which  warps  not  less  the  passive  mind, 
Its  source  concealed  or  undefined  ; 
Whether  an  impulse,  that  has  birth 
Soon  as  the  infant  wakes  on  earth, 
One  with  our  feelings  and  our  powers, 
And  rather  part  of  us  than  oars  ; 
Or  whether  fitlier  termed  the  sway 
Of  habit,  formed  in  early  day  ? 
Howe'er  derived,  its  force  confest 
Rules  with  despotic  sway  the  breast, 
And  drags  us  on  by  viewless  chain, 
While  taste  and  reason  plead  in  vain. 
Look  east,  and  ask  the  Belgian  why, 
Beneath  Batavia's  sultry  sky, 
He  seeks  not,  eager  to  inhale, 
The  freshness  of  .the  mountain  gale, 
Content  to  rear  his  whitened  wall 


A    FAVORITE    PASSAGE    FROM   MARMION. 

Beside  the  dank  and  dull  canal  ? 
He  '11  say  from  youth  he  loved  to  see 
The  white  sail  gliding  by  the  tree. 
Or  see  yon  weather-beaten  hind, 
Whose  sluggish  herds  before  him  wind, 
Whose  tattered  plaid  and  rugged  cheek 
His  northern  clime  and  kindred  speak ; 
Through  England's  laughing  meads  he  goe», 
And  England's  wealth  around  him  flows ; 
Ask,  if  it  would  content  him  well, 
At  ease  in  these  gay  plains  to  dwell, 
Where  hedgerows  spread  a  verdant  screen, 
And  spires  and  forests  intervene, 
And  the  neat  cottage  peeps  between  ? 
No,  not  for  these  will  he  exchange 
His  dark  Lochaber's  boundless  range  ; 
Nor  for  fair  Devon's  meads  forsake 
Bennevis  grey  and  Garry's  lake. 

Thus  while  I  ape  the  measure  wild 
Of  tales  that  charmed  me  yet  a  child, 
Rude  though  they  be,  still  with  the  chime, 
Return  the  thoughts  of  early  time  ; 
And  feelings,  roused  in  life's  first  day, 
Glow  in  the  line,  and  prompt  the  lay. 
Then  rise  those  crags,  that  mountain  tower, 
Which  charmed  my  fancy's  wakening  hour. 
Though  no  broad  river  swept  along 
To  claim,  perchance,  heroic  song  ; 
Though  sighed  no  groves  in  summer  gaJe, 
To  prompt  of  love  a  softer  tale  ; 
Though  scarce  a  puny  streamlet's  speed 
Claimed  homage  from  a  shepherd's  reed 
Yet  was  poetic  impulse  given, 
By  the  green  hill  and  clear  blue  heaven. 
It  was  a  barren  scene,  and  wild, 
Where  naked  cliffs  were  rudely  piled  : 
But  ever  and  anon  between 
Lay  velvet  tufts  of  loveliest  green  ; 
And  well  the  lonely  infant  knew 
Recesses  where  the  wall-flower  grew, 
And  honey-suckle  loved  to  crawl 
Up  the  low  crag  and  ruined  wall. 
I  deemed  such  nooks  the  sweetest  shade 
The  sun  in  all  his  round  surveyed ; 
And  still  I  thought  that  shattered  tower 
The  mightiest  work  of  human  power; 
And  marvelled,  as  the  aged  hind 
With  some  strange  tale  bewitched  my  mind, 
Of  forayers,  who,  with  headlong  force, 


48  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

Down  from  that  strength  had  spurred  their  hortt, 

Their  southern  rapine  to  renew, 

Far  in  the  distant  Cheviot's  blue, 

And  home  returning  filled  the  hall 

With  revel,  wassail-rout,  and  brawl. 

Methought  that  still  with  trump  and  clarg 

The  gate-way's  broken  arches  rang; 

Methought  grim  features,  seamed  with  scars, 

Glared  through  the  window's  rusty  bars. 

And  ever,  by  the  winter  hearth, 

Old  tales  I  heard  of  woe  or  mirth, 

Of  lovers'  sleights,  and  ladies'  charms, 

Of  witches'  spells,  of  warriors'  arms ; 

Of  patriot  battles,  won  of  old 

By  Wallace  wight  and  Bruce  the  bold  ; 

Of  later  fields  of  feud  and  fight, 

When  pouring  from  their  highland  height, 

The  Scottish  clans,  in  headlong  sway, 

Had  swept  the  scarlet  ranks  away. 

While  stretched  at  length  upon  the  floor, 

Again  I  fought  each  combat  o'er, 

Pebbles  and  shells,  in  order  laid, 

The  mimic  ranks  of  war  displayed; 

And  onward  still  the  Scottish  lion  bore, 

And  still  the  scattered  Southron  fled  before. 

Still,  with  vain  fondness,  could  I  trace, 
Anew,  each  kind  familiar  face, 
That  brightened  at  our  evening  fire: 
From  the  thatched  mansion's  grey-haired  slK^ 
Wise  without  learning,  plain  and  good, 
And  sprung  of  Scotland's  gentler  blood ; 
Whose  eye  in  age,  quick,  clear,  and  keen. 
Showed  what  in  youth  its  glance  had  been  ; 
Whose  doom  discording  neighbors  sought, 
Content  with  equity  unbought ; 
To  him  the  venerable  priest, 
Our  frequent  and  familiar  guest, 
Whose  life  and  manners  well  could  paint 
Alike  the  student  and  the  saint : 
Alas  !  whose  speech  too  oft  I  broke 
With  gambol  rude  and  timeless  joke  : 
For  I  was  wayward,  bold,  and  wild, 
A  self-willed  imp,  a  grandame's  child; 
But,  half  a  plague  and  half  a  jest, 
Was  still  endured,  beloved,  carest. 


EMIGRATION    OF  YOUNG   MEN    FROM    NEW    ENGLAND. 


CHAPTER    III. 

Emigration  of  Educated  Young  Men  from  New  England— Maine  Twenty-five  Years 
ago— He  determines  to  go  West— His  setting  out— His  Letters  Home,  describing 
his  Journey  to  Cincinnati,  and  thence  to  Natchez— Notice  of  his  Uncle,  Her 
James  Lewis— Obtains  a  situation  as  Teacher. 

^ET.  18-19.     1827. 

A  PERSON  who  had  never  examined  the  subject,  would  be 
surprised  at  the  number  of  educated  young  men  of  New 
England,  who  annually  go  forth  to  seek  their  fortunes  in 
other  parts  of  the  land.  Sons  of  Massachusetts,  Con 
necticut,  New  Hampshire,  Vermont,  Rhode  Island,  and 
Maine,  fill  no  small  portion  of  the  offices  of  trust  and 
honor  throughout  the  new  sections  of  the  Union  ;  they 
are  also  found  occupying  the  highest  positions  in  neigh 
boring  States,  and  in  the  middle  and  southern  mem 
bers  of  the  Old  Thirteen.  It  was  stated,  several  years  ago, 
that  thirty  Representatives,  in  the  Lower  House  of  Con 
gress,  were  natives  of  Connecticut,  although  Connecticut 
was,  at  that  time,  entitled  to  but  two  or  three  members  ; 
and  this  instance  is,  probably,  no  unfair  specimen  of  the 
general  fact. 

Fronting  the  old  world— the  home  of  modern  civilization  ; 
trained  in  habits  of  free,  Christian  thought ;  deeply  imbued, 
too,  with  the  spirit  of  virtuous  intelligence  and  mental  pro 
gress,  New  England  must,  for  ages,  continue  to  be  a  chief 
seat  of  American  culture.  From  this  hive  of  States  and 
Statesmen,  young  men  of  superior  talent,  education,  and 

3 


60  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    P6ENTISS. 

practical  energy,  will  still  swarm  to  near  and  distant  parts 
of  the  Republic — to  Nebraska,  Kansas,  and  Minnesota  ;  to 
New  Mexico,  Oregon,  Washington,  and  California — there 
to  win  the  prizes  of  wealth,  honor,  and  renown. 

Maine,  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago,  held  out  small  attrac 
tions  to  talent  and  enterprise  in  any  of  the  great  spheres 
of  intellectual  life.  The  professions  were  crowded  to  excess. 
Large  numbers,  therefore,  of  the  young  men,  who  had 
received  a  liberal  education,  emigrated  to  other  parts  of  the 
country,  especially  to  the  West  and  Southwest ;  some  with 
a  view  of  returning  in  a  few  years  ;  but  the  most  for  the 
purpose  of  seeking  a  permanent  home.  The  West  and 
Southwest  then  seemed  a  hundred  times  further  off  than 
they  do  now  ;  indeed,  so  rapidly  have  railroads,  steamboats, 
and  telegraphs,  brought  the  most  distant  parts  of  the  Con 
tinent  into  neighborly  contact,  that  California  and  Oregon 
now  appear  nearer  to  Maine  than  Ohio  and  Mississippi  did 
twenty-five  years  ago. 

Before  leaving  College,  young  Prentiss  had  formed  a 
plan  of  going  to  the  New  States  ;  but  no  specific  point  of 
settlement  was  fixed  upon,  nor  was  he  decided,  on  starting, 
whether  he  should  remain,  or  return,  after  a  few  years,  and 
make  his  home  in  his  native  State. 

How  well  I  remember  the  scene  of  his  bidding  us  adieu, 
and  going  forth  in  quest  of  fortune  1  It  was  a  beautiful 
afternoon,  in  the  last  month  of  summer  ;  the  wagon  and  Old 
Gray  were  at  the  door  ;  a  huge  trunk,  filled  with  a  two 
years'  outfit,  and  many  a  token  of  maternal  and  sisterly 
affection,  was  in  its  place  ;  amid  numerous  tears,  the  fare 
well  embrace  was  given  ;  then,  climbing  quickly  to  his  seat, 
his  manly  countenance  bright  with  hope,  and  followed  by 
devout  benedictions,  he  rode  away  towards  Portland.  I 
was  just  old  enough  to  feel  the  romance  of  the  scene, 
without  appreciating  its  import  ;  and,  were  I  to  live  a 


JOURNEY   TO    NEW    YORK.  51 

thousand  years,  the  pleasing,  strange  eraotid  is  of  that  hour 
would  not  be  forgotten.  Indeed,  if  I  were  now  to  witness 
one  quietly  departing  for  the  moon,  it  could  hardly  appear 
so  wonderful  as  his  setting  out  for  the  Far  West  then 
seemed  to  me. 

He  proceeded  to  Boston  the  same  night,  and  remained 
there,  visiting  a  class-mate,  and  other  friends,  nearly  a 
week.  Unfortunately,  his  letter  from  Boston  is  lost.  Of 
his  journey  from  thence  to  Cincinnati,  the  following  letters 
give  his  own  description  : — 

TO      HIS     MOTHER. 

NEW  YORK  CITY,  August  9,  1827. 

MY  DEAR  MOTHER: 

I  sit  down  this  evening  to  write  to  you,  as  I 
promised  you  I  would  upon  ray  arrival  in  New  York.  You 
have,  probably,  before  this  time,  received  the  letter  I  wrote  you 
from  Boston.  I  went  to  Mr.  F.'s  the  same  day  it  was  dated- 
stayed  there  that  night,  and  also  the  next  clay.  I  was  very  much 
pleased  with  them.  Mr.  F.  appeared  like  an  old  acquaintance, 
though  I  never  saw  him  before.  I  shall  always  remember  their 
kind  attention  and  hospitality.  I  left  Boston  yesterday  morning 

at  three  o'clock,  in  the  stage  for  Providence  ;  arrived  at  P 

at  ten  in  the  forenoon;  went  immediately  on  board  the  steamboat 
for  this  city,  and  arrived  here  at  six  this  morning.  The  distance 
from  Boston  to  Providence  is  forty-two  miles,  and  from  Provi 
dence  to  New  York  something  like  two  hundred  and  forty, — so 
that  in  little  more  than  twenty-six  hours  I  came  almost  three 
hundred  miles.  Yesterday  morning  I  was  in  Boston, — this 
morning  in  New  York.  From  Providence,  on  board  the  steam 
boat,  it  was  very  beautiful;  Long  Island  being  continually  in  sight 
on  one  side,  and  the  shores  of  Rhode  Island,  Connecticut,  and 
New  York,  upon  the  other.  For  about  fifteen  miles  before  arriv 
ing  in  the  city,  the  scenery — especially  upon  the  mainland  side — 
is  superior  to  anything  I  had  ever  imagined.  It  s«  >med  like  one 
vast  garden ;  and  the  eye  could  hardly  be  kept  at  rest  upon  any 


52  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

single  object — even  for  a  moment—  so  many  others  were  contin 
ually  courting  the  view.  I  could  count,  and  distinctly  see,  from 
the  boat,  more  than  a  hundred  beautiful  country-seats—large  and 
elegant,  and  situated  in  the  midst  of  luxuriant  groves.  These 
superb  seats  pleased  me  much  more  than  the  city  itself— though 
the  vastness  of  that  astonished  me.  The  view  of  it,  however, 
on  entering  the  harbor,  is  very  much  injured  by  its  low  situa 
tion,  as  you  can  see  but  a  small  portion  of  it  at  once.  The  City 
Hall  is  the  most  elegant  building  I  have  ever  seen,— far  superior 
to  anything  in  Bosron  :  and  the  Battery  is  a  delightful  place  for 
a  walk.  I  am  now  at  the  American  Hotel,  in  Broadway— the 
most  fashionable  street  in  the  city.  At  dinner  to-day  we  had 
plenty  of  fruit,  peaches,  musk-melons,  water-melons,  &c.  I  wish 
I  could  send  some  of  them  to  the  children. 

I  have  concluded  not  to  go  to  Paterson,  but  shall  leave  the 
city  to-morrow  morning  for  Albany.  I  shall  make  no  stay,  I 
believe  now,  except  to  see  the  Falls  of  Niagara,  as  I  am  very 
anxious  to  get  to  the  end  of  my  journey,  and  to  know  whether 
or  not  T  shall  be  able  to  do  anything. 

I  called  this  forenoon  upon  Mr.  Fessenden,* — the  gentleman  to 
whom  Mr.  Pierce  gave  me  a  letter  of  introduction.  I  found  him 
very  polite  and  affable.  I  sat  and  talked  with  him  about  an 
hour  on  various  subjects,  and  when  I  rose  to  come  away,  he 
told  me  he  would  give  me  a  letter  to  a  gentleman — a  friend  of 
his — in  Cincinnati.  He,  accordingly,  wrote  me  one  ;  and,  upon 
looking  at  it,  I  found  it  was  directed  to  Mr.  Wright,  t  a  lawyer — 
the  same  one  to  whom  I  told  you  I  should  be  glad  to  have  a 
letter.  He  says  in  it,  he  was  "  very  much  pleased  with  the 
young  gentleman's  manners  and  address;"  don't  laugh  now— for 
these  are  his  very  words. 

I  called  also  at  Mr.  S.'s,  where  I  drank  tea,  and  from  whence 
I  have  just  returned.  They  were  very  agreeable,  indeed,  and 
made  a  thousand  inquiries  about  Gorham,  and  their  friends 
there.  Mrs.  S.  says  she  was  always  acquainted  with  you  from  a 
child — asked  a  great  many  questions  about  you— and  desired 


•  Thomas  Fessenden,  Esq.  t  Nathaniel  Wright,  Esq. 


TRIP    UP   TEE    HUDSON.  53 

to  be  particularly  remembered  to  you,  as  did  also  the  rest  of  tht 
family. 

I  have  now  written  you  a  long  letter,  and  as  I  shall  not  pro 
bably  stop,  perhaps  I  shall  not  write  again  till  I  get  to  Cincin 
nati.  You  must  (one  of  you)  write  now,  so  that  I  may  hear 
very  soon  after  my  arrival.  My  love  to  all  the  children,  and  to 
all  my  friends — and  now  good  night  to  you  all. 
Your  affectionate  son, 

S.  S.  PEENTISS. 


TO     HIS     BEOTHEB     WILLIAM. 

BUFFALO,  August  17,  182T. 

MY  DEAE  BEOTHEE  : — 

Being  obliged  to  stay  in  this  village*  a  day,  wait 
ing  for  the  steamboat  to  go  up  the  Lake,  I  thought  I  would  not 
omit  so  good  an  opportunity  for  writing — though  I  told  you  on 
leaving  New  York  that  I  should  not  probably  write  again  till  I 
arrived  at  the  end  of  my  journey. 

The  next  morning  after  I  wrote  you  from  New  York,  I  started 
for  Albany  in  one  of  the  steamboats  up  the  North  River,  and 
reached  Albany  before  dusk  the  same  day.  This  was  far  the 
most  interesting  part  of  my  route.  When  about  twenty  or 
thirty  miles  from  the  city,  we  passed  what  are  called  the  Pali 
sades — a  vast  range  of  cliffs  extending  about  a  dozen  miles  along 
the  right  bank  of  the  river,  and  varying  from  300  to  1,200  feet 
in  perpendicular  height.  They  receive  their  name  from  their 
regular  and  uniform  structure,  and  are,  altogether,  very  grand 
and  beautiful.  But  they  are  far  exceeded  both  in  grandeur  and 
beauty  by  the  Highlands,  which  rise  thirty  or  forty  miles  further 
up,  and  in  the  very  wildest  part  of  which — close  upon  the  bank 
of  the  river — is  situated  West  Point,  an  important  post,  as  you 
well  know,  in  the  revolutionary  war.  It  is  still  strongly  forti 
fied,  and  is,  also,  the  seat  of  the  Military  School  established  by 
the  United  States.  It  is,  indeed,  a  most  imposing  situation, 
being  many  hundred  feet  above  the  river  (which  is  here  very 


*  The  city  of  Buffalo  had,  in  1850,  a  population  of  42,000. 


54  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

narrow),  and  of  which  it  has  the  most  perfect  command.  We 
also  passed  many  beautiful  villages  upon  both  sides  of  the  river, 
where  passengers  were  landed  and  received,  and  that,  too,  in  a 
very  curious  manner.  Just  before  arriving  at  any  landing-place, 
the  small  boat  was  let  down,  having  a  long  rope  attached  to  it, 
the  passengers  and  baggage  put  aboard,  and  the  rope  let  loose. 
The  boat  would  then  run  along  the  landing-place,  leave  the 
passengers — take  new  ones — and  the  rope  being  immediately 
attached  to  some  of  the  machinery  of  the  steamboat,  in  a  few 
moments  the  small  boat  would  be  drawn  alongside  and  taken 
up.  The  steamboat  all  this  time  going  at  the  rate  of  twelve  or 
more  miles  an  hour.  The  distance  from  New  York  to  Albany 
is  about  one  hundred  and  sixty  miles,  and  we  were  about  twelve 
hours  in  passing  it. 

I  made  no  stop  at  Albany,  but  have  come  directly  upon  my 
route  so  far — except  yesterday,  when  I  visited  the  Falls  of 
Niagara.  Part  of  the  way  I  have  come  in  the  canal  packet 
boats,  which  are  made  expressly  for  carrying  passengers,  and 
part  of  the  way  by  stages.  The  boats  go  at  the  slow  rate  of 
•  about  three  miles  and  a  half  an  hour. 

I  stayed  six  or  eight  hours  at  the  Falls,  and  viewed  them  as 
much  as  that  time  would  allow.  They  are  truly  grand  and 
magnificent;  though,  I  must  confess,  I  was  somewhat  disap 
pointed  in  them — especially  in  the  noise,  which  is  not  half  so 
great  as  I  had  anticipated.  Still,  they  are,  probably,  the  most 
sublime  and  tremendous  sight  in  the  world ;  and,  I  have  no 
doubt,  if  I  should  see  them  again,  I  should  be  even  more  struck 
than  at  the  first  time. 

I  leave  this  place  to-morrow  in  the  steamboat,  and  go  up 
Lake  Erie  to  Sandusky,  in  Ohio ;  from  there  I  shall  take  the 
stage  to  Cincinnati.  I  have  had  a  fine  time  so  far — notwith 
standing  that  I  have  sometimes  felt  a  little  home-sick,  as  I 
suppose  you  would  call  it.  However,  I  am  not  yet  so  sick  of 
my  bargain  but  that  I  would  start  again  if  I  were  at  home.  It 
seems  a  little  odd,  to  be  sure,  to  pass  day  after  day  without 
seeing  any  one  that  I  know.  But  this  does  not  much  trouble 
me,  for  when  I  am  a  little  home-sick  I  can  think  of  my  friends 
at  home,  and  this  is,  in  some  degree,  as  if  I  saw  them.  Tell 


ARRIVES    AT    CINCINNATI.  55 

mother  that  I  have  met  with  no  accident,  nor  overslept  myself 
a  single  morning,  since  I  left  Gorham — though  she  will  hardlj 
believe  so  strange  a  story  as  the  last.  I  shall  expect  a  letter 
from  one  of  you  very  soon  after  my  arrival  at  Cincinnati.  Give 
my  kindest  respects  to  Mr  Pierce  and  wife.  Remember  me  also 
to  cousin  Win.  Peabody,*  and  to  all  my  other  friends  ;  and  now, 
last  of  all,  my  best  love  to  mother,  yourself,  and  all  the  rest  of 
the  children. 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

S.  S.  PEENTISS. 

TO     HIS     MOTHEE. 

CINCINNATI,  August  28,  182T. 

MY  DEAE  MOTHEE: 

I  arrived  in  this  city  last  Friday  night,  and  should 
have  written  immediately — but  I  thought  it  would  be  better  to 
wait  a  day  or  two  and  deliver  my  letters,  so  that  I  might  give 
you  some  account  of  my  prospects.  I  presume  you  have  received 
the  letter  I  wrote  William  from  Buffalo.  The  next  day  after 
writing  it,  I  went  on  board  the  steamboat  bound  up  the  Lake  to 
Sandusky.  We  were  thirty-six  hours  on  the  Lake ;  the  distance 
is  about  250  miles.  The  next  morning  after  arriving  at  San- 
dusky,  I  took  the  stage  to  this  place. 

The  roads  in  this  part  of  the  country  are  very  bad  indeed. 
We  were  four  days  in  coming  through,  travelling  every  night 
till  twelve  o'clock,  and  then  starting  again  at  two  in  the  morn 
ing.  This,  as  you  may  well  suppose,  was  the  most  disagreeable 
part  of  it,  considering  how  well  I  like  to  lie  abed  in  the  morn 
ing.  After  I  had  rested  here  a  day,  I  went  round  and  delivered 
my  letters.  The  gentleman  to  whom  they  were  directed, 
received  me  with  a  great  deal  of  politeness,  and  offered  to  assist 
me  in  any  plans  which  I  might  have  in  view.  My  first  intention 
was  to  attempt  immediately  to  obtain  a  school,  but  my  class- 


*  TTflliam  H.  Peabody,  M.D.,  now  deceased.  He  was  an  able  physician;  full  ot 
devotion  to  the  science,  as  well  as  the  practice,  of  his  aobb  profession.  He  was 
also,  an  accomplished  Christian  gentleman,  public-spirited  kind  to  the  poor,  and 
devoted  to  bia  friends.  Long  will  they  cherish  his  memory 


56  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

mate  Boyd  and  several  others,  advised  me  against  it.  I  am  now 
m  Mr.  Wright's  office — the  gentleman  to  whom  Mr.  Fessenden, 
of  New  York,  gave  me  a  letter.  He  appears  very  friendly,  and 
says  he  has  no  doubt  I  can  support  myself  and  pursue  my  studies 
at  the  same  time.  In  my  next  letter  I  sha.l  probably  be  able  to 
tell  you  more  about  it. 

Cincinnati  is  a  beautiful  place.  It  is  considerably  larger  than 
Portland,  and  is  delightfully  situated  on  the  right  bank  of  the 
Ohio.  My  office  is  within  a  few  rods  of  the  river,  and  looks 
directly  upon  it,  so  that  I  can  at  any  time  see  the  steam  and 
other  boats  passing  and  repassing  before  the  city.  You  would 
be  astonished  to  find  how  cheap  produce  of  every  kind  is  in  this 
State.  Corn  is  sold  for  ten  or  twelve  cents  a. bushel,  and  wheat 
for  twenty.  Apples,  pears,  peaches  and  melons  are  all  ripe,  and 
cheap  as  any  one  could  wish.  I  shall  now  expect  a  letter  every 
day  from  you — you  must  be  sure  and  write  often,  and  William 
must  write  me  too.  I  shall  want  to  hear  all  about  the  farm,  and 
how  things  turn  out  upon  it  this  year.  My  love  to  all  the 
children.  Give  my  respects  to  Mr.  Pierce  and  wife,  and  remem 
ber  me  to  all  my  friends. 

Your  affectionate  son, 

S.  S.  PRENTISS. 

TO   HIS   BEOTHKB   WILLIAM. 

CINCINNATI,  September  27, 1827. 
MY  DEAR  BROTHER: 

I  received  your  letter  about  three  weeks  since,  and 
was,  I  assure  you,  exceedingly  glad  to  hear  from  you.  I  am 
looking  now  every  day  for  another  letter,  and  hope  I  shall  not 
be  disappointed.  You  must  write  me  as  often  at  least  as  once  in 
three  weeks,  and  don't  take  the  trouble  to  pay  the  postage  of 
your  letters.  I  am  glad  to  hear  your  crops  are  like  to  turn  out 
so  well.  I  suspect  you'll  miss  me  a  little  in  husking  corn  and 
bunching  onions.  The  screwed  hay,  I  suppose,  lies  on  your 
hands  yet ;  however,  I've  no  doubt  but  you'll  get  a  good  price 
for  it  in  the  course  of  two  or  three  years.  I  presume  your 
apples  did  not  not  turn  out  very  well  this  year,  at  least  they  did 
not  bid  fair  for  it  when  I  left  home.  You  ra  ist  tell  me  how 


HIS   UNCLE   JAMES.  57 

many  barrels  of  cider  you  make.  There  is  here  an  abundanct 
of  fruits  of  every  kind,  peaches  and  melons  especially.  For 
three  cents  I  can  purchase  more  peaches  than  you  will  raise 
from  the  tree  in  the  front-yard.  They  sell  from  twenty  to 
twenty-five  cents  a  bushel,  and  melons  you  can  buy — as  large 
as  water-pails — for  a  cent,  or  a  cent  and  a  half  apiece. 
The  markets  here  are  the  cheapest,  perhaps,  in  the  world. 
Meats  of  the  best  kind  sell  for  two  cents  a  pound,  and  every 
thing  else  in  proportion.  They  have  their  markets  every  day 
at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  I  often  get  up,  even  though  so 
early,  and  walk  through  them,  just  for  the  sake  of  observing  the 
abundance  of  everything  necessary  for  the  support  of  life. 
I  am  afraid  mother  won't  believe  this  about  my  rising  so  early, 
but  it  is  a  fact.  There  is  more  doing  here  than  at  any  place  of 
its  size  in  the  United  States.  The  number  of  inhabitants  is  at 
present  about  17,000,*  and  during  the  year  past,  some  300  new 
buildings  have  been  put  up.  I  have  not  been  out  of  the  city  a 
gunning  yet,  though  I  intend  to  go  shortly.  There  is  plenty  of 
game  of  every  kind,  especially  wild  turkeys,  an  animal  I  pre 
sume  you  never  saw.  They  are  about  as  large  as  tame  turkeys 
and  very  much  like  them.  I  saw  a  great  many  flocks,  as  I  came 
through  the  State,  on  the  trees  and  in  the  road.  I  have  not  yet 
obtained  a  situation,  but  have  several  in  view,  and  shall  probably 
have  got  one  by  the  time  I  write  again.  I  would  give  not  a 
little  I  assure  you,  if  I  could  drop  in  and  see  you  of  an  evening. 
Not  a  day  passes  but  I  think  of  you  all,  and  I  hope  to  see  you 
all  again,  though  not  probably  very  soon.  .Tell  Uncle  James 
I  sli all  be  very  glad  to  receive  a  letter  from  hirn.f  Give  ray  love 

to  all  the  children.     Tell her  dollar  is  on  good  interest,  and 

one  of  these  days  she  shall  have  principal  and  interest.     Samuel 


*  The  population  of  Cincinnati  in  1850,  was  115,000. 

t  The  Rev.  James  Lewis,  a  venerated  elder  and  local  preacher  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  now  in  the  eighty-sixth  or  seventh  year  of  his  age.  There  are 
few  men  in  Maine  who  have  been  in  the  ministry  so  long,  or  whose  Christian  labors 
have  been  fraught  with  such  abundant  and  lasting  good.  He  entered  upon  his 
work  in  1800,  and  now,  after  the  lapse  of  more  than  half  a  century,  is  still  able, 
occasionally,  to  resume  it.  During  most  of  these  fifty-five  years,  he  has  been  wont 
to  preach  every  Sabbath,  generally  three  times,  rarely  losing  an  appointment  by 
•ickness,  and  still  more  rarely,  I '  ever,  by  storm,  in  summer  or  winter.  His  labors 

3* 


58  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

• 

and  Abby  must  write  me  themselves,  and  A.  and  G.  too,  aa 
soon  as  they  are  able.  My  best  love  to  you  mother.  I  shall 
write  you  next.  Give  my  respects  to  Mr.  Pierce  and  wife,  and 
all  the  rest  of  my  friends.  Remember  me  kindly  to  all  the 
neighbors,  and  write  again  soon. 

Yours  affectionately, 

S.  S.  PRENTISS. 

P.  S.  To  Mother. — Thinking  you  might  be  a  little  anxious 
about  my  health,  I  will  just  say  that  I  do  not  think  there  is  a 
healthier  place  in  the  world.  I  never  was  in  better  health. 

Your  affectionate  son,  i 

S.  S.  PRENTISS. 

TO     HIS     MOTHER . 

LOUISVILLE,  KY.,  October  4, 1827. 
MY  DEAR  MOTHER  : 

You  are  probably  much  surprised  to  see  the  date 
of  my  letter,  and  you  will,  perhaps,  be  much  more  so  to  hear 

have  been  pretty  equally  divided  among  all  the  towns  within  fifteen  miles  round,  and 
his  rides  out  and  back,  often  over  the  roughest  roads  or  through  heavy  snows, 
would,  probably,  average  from  fifteen  to  twenty  miles.  It  is  estimated  that  he  has 
officiated  at  not  less  than  1,500  funerals,  sometimes  riding  for  the  purpose  forty  miles. 
The  distance  travelled  by  him  in  meeting  his  various  Sabbath  and  week-day  appoint 
ments,  would,  doubtless,  amount  to  considerably  more  than  50,000  miles.  If  his  fune 
ral  and  camp-meeting  sermons  be  included,  he  can  hardly  have  preached  less  than 
from  8,000  to  9,000  times.  He  has  never  received  a  single  dollar  of  compensation 
for  his  ministerial  services.  Unto  all  the  tens  of  thousands  to  whom  he  has  preached, 
he  could  say,  with  St.  Paul :  "7  have  coveted  no  man's  silver,  or-  gold,  or  apparel. 
Yea,  ye  yourselves  knou  that  these  hands  have  ministered  unto  my  necessities." 
Though  far  from  rich,  his  hospitality  to  his  itinerant  brethren  used  to  be 
unbounded.  Many  a  '>!<2thodist  preacher  recalls  with  delight  his  sojourn  at 
Father  Lewises  farm.  Te  has  been  instrumental  in  organizing  numerous  societies, 
or  local  churches,  and  -\Vx>  in  building  many  houses  of  worship.  Indeed,  in  several 
towns  of  Cumberland  »,ni  adjoining  counties,  he  was  the  youthful  pioneer,  as  he 
is  now  the  univers?.ay  beloved  and  revered  patriarch,  of  Methodism.  There  is  not 
a  man  living,  the  ai^/it  of  whom,  riding  in  his  old  gig,  is  so  grateful  to  the 
eyes  of  thousands  «u  dorham,  Buxton,  Scarborough,  Cape  Elizabeth,  and  other 
neighboring  town.*.  ->i  .he  news  of  whose  death  would  fill  their  hearts  with  such  deep, 
filial  grief.  Here  i'-,  r  >t  the  place  to  depict  his  meek  and  guileless  virtues  ;  but  this 
I  will  venture  to  aff.rm,  that  when  Elder  Lewis  departs  for  Heavtn,  he  will  le»Y« 
no  better  man  in  all  the  State  to  follow  after  him  ! — ED. 


LEAVES    CINCINNATI    FOR   NATCHEZ.  59 

that  I  am  on  my  way  to  Natchez,  in  the  State  of  Mississippi.  I 
wrote  to  William  but  little  more  than  a  week  since,  and  I  had 
then  no  more  idea  of  leaving  Ohio,  than  I  had,  ten  years  ago,  of 
leaving  Maine.  Indeed,  it  is  only  three  days  since  I  thought  of 
it.  I  had,  when  I  wrote  last,  several  places  in  view  in  the  city 
of  Cincinnati,  but  have  been  disappointed  in  some  of  them,  and 
others  did  not  please  me.  I  was,  notwithstanding,  on  the  point 
of  taking  a  school,  the  wages  of  which  would  but  little  more 
than  have  paid  my  expenses.  I  thought,  however,  I  would  first 
ask  the  advice  of  those  gentlemen  with  whom  I  had  become 
acquainted ;  and  they  all,  without  exception,  advised  me — if  I 
wished  to  spend  a  year  or  two,  both  pleasantly  and  profitably — 
to  go  down  the  Mississippi  to  Natchez,  where  I  should,  undoubt 
edly,  obtain  a  situation  as  tutor  in  a  private  family.  In  Ohio  it 
is  much  the  same  with  regard  to  schools  as  in  New  England ; 
but  it  is  quite  different  in  Mississippi,  and  the  other  Southern 
States.  There  they  have  no  system  of  common  schools ;  and  the 
rich  planters,  living  at  a  distance  from  each  other,  are  obliged 
to  have;  each  of  them,  a  teacher  in  his  own  family.  Mr.  Storer 
introduced  me  to  a  couple  of  gentlemen  who  reside  in  Natchez, 
and  who  are  now  returning  with  their  families  from  a  visit  to 
the  North.  I  am  in  company  with  them,  and  they  tell  me  there 
is  no  doubt  I  can  obtain  immediately  such  a  situation  as  I  have 
described.  I  have,  also,  an  abundance  of  letters  of  introduction 
to  persons  in  Natchez. 

When  I  first  thought  of  going  South,  I  was  rather  at  a  loss  for 
the  means,  as  my  money  was  about  expended.  I  had  concluded, 
at  length,  to  take  one  of  the  common  schools  for  two  or  three 
months,  till  I  had  earned  enough  to  carry  me  to  Natchez ;  but, 
on  mentioning  the  plan  to  Mr.  Wright  (with  whom  I  have  been 
studying),  he  told  me  I  should  not  take  a  school,  and  very 
kindly  offered  me  any  sum  I  wished  for,  without  security,  and 
to  be  repaid  whenever  I  find  it  convenient.  I,  at  first,  refused 
to  avail  myself  of  his  generous  offer — but,  upon  his  repeating  it, 
finally  borrowed  sufficient  to  carry  me  down  the  river.  Mr. 
Wright  is,  himself,  a  New  England  man,  and  formerly  kept  the 
A.cademy  in  Portland.  He  is  one  of  the  finest  men  I  ever  met 


60  MEMOIR   OF   S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

with,  and  I  shall  always  feel  under  the  greatest  obligations  to 
him. 

I  leave  here  in  the  steamboat  immediately ;  and  shall,  pro 
bably,  be  ten  or  twelve  days  in  descending  the  Ohio  and 
Mississippi  to  Natchez.  It  is  now  late  in  the  evening,  and  I 
must  bid  you  all  '  Good  night.'  My  love  to  William,  Samuel, 
and  all  the  children ;  and  be  assured  that,  though  my  distance 
from  home  is  somewhat  increased,  my  love  and  affection  for  it 
will  never  be  diminished. 

Your  affectionate  son, 

S.  S.  PEENTTSS. 


In  a  letter,  dated  Cincinnati,  March  29,  1852,  Mr. 
Wright  writes  : — 

I  assure  you  I  remember  well  your  brother,  S.  S.  Prentiss, 
and  have  always  remembered  him,  with  much  interest.  He  was 
introduced  to  me  by  Bellamy  Storer,  Esq.,  of  the  Bar  here,  for 
merly  of  Portland ;  and,  having  spent  some  time  in  Portland 
myself,  and  having  many  warm  friends  there,  I  was  led  to  such 
conversation  with  him  as  occasioned  his  stating  to  me  his  object 
in  visiting  the  West,  his  plans,  &c.  I  saw  in  him  very  interest 
ing  and  very  promising  traits  of  character,  young  as  he  then 
was,  and  tendered  to  him  my  services,  and  invited  him  to  spend 
his  time  in  my  office  as  long  as  he  chose.  We  took  considerable 
pains  to  find  a  school  for  him,  but  found  no  situation  at  all 
inviting ;  one  place,  at  a  village  about  twelve  miles  out  of  town, 
had  engaged  his  attention,  and  he  was  thinking  strongly  of  going 
there  to  teach  a  school  for  the  winter,  though  he  disliked  it 
exceedingly  ;  for  our  Western  villages  were  rough  and  dull, 
and  he  would  be  removed  from  all  the  friends  he  had  made  in 
town.  He  evidently  felt  rather  downcast  at  this  time,  not  dis 
couraged — for  he  always  showed  much  energy — but  a  little 
home-sick,  I  thought.  There  were  so  many  young  men  flocking 
West,  that  it  was  difficult  for  them  to  find  employment;  teachers 
were  not  in  demand,  as  in  New  England  ;  he  was  short  of 


LEAVES    OHIO    FOR    MISSISSIPPI.  61 

money,  and,  I  saw,  was  very  unwilling  to  apply  to  friends  for  it. 
He  spent  his  time  pretty  much  in  my  office ;  but  lawyers'  offices 
here  furnish  no  compensating  employment  for  students.  I  con 
trived,  however,  tothrow  some  trifle  into  his  hands.  In  Sep 
tember  be  became  acquainted  with  a  gentleman  residing,, or 
well  acquainted,  at  Natchez,  who  became  interested  in  him, 
and  made  such  statements  to  him,  in  relation  to  prospects  in 
that  region,  that  he  was  disposed  to  try  his  fortune  there. 
He  hesitated  a  good  deal  about  it,  however,  and  seemed 
reluctant  to  separate  himself  so  far,  both  in  place  and  people, 
from  his  early  associations.  But  his  native  energy  prevailed.  I 
told  him  I  had  no  doubt  he  would  find  employment  there  for 
the  time  being,  and  a  good  field  for  enterprise.  Yankees  of 
talents  and  integrity  generally  succeed  there.  My  only  fear  was, 
that  he  was  too  modest  for  that  region, — diffident,  perhaps,  I 
should  say. 

"  I  gave  him  a  couple. of  letters,  one  of  them  to  a  man  who 
died  before  he  got  there,  arid  he  started  off.  I  have  not  often 
parted  with  one,  after  so  short  an  acquaintance,  with  so  much 
regret.  He  left  here  about  the  beginning  of  October,  1827,  spent 
near  a  month  in  descending  the  river  ;  and,  after  teaching  more 
than  a  year,  and  completing  his  legal  studies,  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  in  1829  ;  and  after  this,  rose,  like  an  eagle  cut  loose  from 
the  cord  that  had  bound  it,  till  he  soared  above  all  of  his  profes 
sion  in  the  State,  and  among  the  first  orators  of  his  times. 

"  He  wrote  to  me  repeatedly,  after  reaching  Mississippi.  He 
could  hardly  reconcile  himself  to  the  country,  the  manners,  the 
want  of  New  England  comfort  and  neatness;  and,  for  some 
time,  expressed  a  determination  to  return  North,  as  soon  as  he 
had  accumulated  the  means  of  finishing  the  study  of  his  profes 
sion. 

u  While  in  my  office  here,  he  was  very  studious,  sociable,  and 
pleasant;  showing  clearness  and  quickness  of  mind,  and  great 
command  of  language,  for  one  so  young.  He  was  retired,  rather 
secluded  in  his  course  of  life,  keeping  his  main  object  ever  in 
view.  I  ever  felt  great  interest  in  him,  and  regarded  h»s  death, 
in  the  very  prime  and  vigor  of  life  as  a  national  loss. 


62  'MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

TO     HIS     MOTHER. 

NATCHEZ,  Miss.,  November  8, 182T. 

MY  DEAR  MOTHER: 

You  have,  probably,  received  before  this  a  letter 
dated  at  Louisville,  Ky.,  informing  you  that  I  had  left  Cincin* 
nati  for  this  place.  I  arrived  here  yesterday,  having  been  about 
three  weeks  in  performing  the  journey.  The  steamboat  ran 
aground  several  times  upon  the  sand-bars,  on  one  of  which  she 
lay  a  week.  While  the  hands  were  getting  her  off,  the  passen 
gers  would  go  ashore,  and  hunt,  there  being  plenty  of  game  in 
the  woods.  I  came  very  near,  at  one  time,  being  left  behind  by 
my  love  of  hunting.  The  boat  had  run  aground  one  morning, 
and  the  captain  told  us  we  might  go  a  gunning,  as  he  didn't 
think  he  should  be  able  to  get  her  off  before  night.  Accord 
ingly  several  of  us  went  ashore  with  our  guns,  an£  went  into 
the  woods.  I  parted  from  the  rest,  and  followed  up  a  little 
creek  in  pursuit  of  some  wild  ducks.  Having  spent  a  couple  of 
hours,  and  killed  three  of  the  ducks,  I  returned  to  the  bank  of  the 
river— when,  behold !  the  boat  was  gone.  There  was  a  little 
log  cabin  close  by  (the  only  habitation  for  perhaps  thirty  miles 
round),  where  I  immediately  inquired  what  had  become  of  the 
boat,  and  was  told  she  had  started  at  least  an  hour  before.  I 
was,  as  you  may  well  imagine,  in  a  pretty  pickle.  They  told  me, 
however,  that  she  would,  probably,  stop  to  take  in  wood  about 
two  miles  below,  and  that,  if  I  was  expeditious,  I  might,  possi 
bly,  overtake  her.  I  accordingly  threw  away  my  ducks,  shoul 
dered  my  musket  and  marched  on  as  fast  as  I  could.  Upon 
arriving  at  the  place,  I  saw  the  boat  had  left  it,  and  was  nearly 
half  a  mile  on  her  way.  I  hailed  her  as  loudly  as  possible,  when 
she  put  about,  came  back  and  took  me  in.  But  if  I  had  been 
one  minute  later,  I  should  have  lost  my  chance.  I  could  have 
staid,  however,  at  the  log-cabin,  till  another  boat  came  along. 
But  it  was  a  dreary  place,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  forest.  Tell 
Abby  to  look  upon  her  map  at  about  the  middle  of  that  part  of 
the  State  of  Indiana  which  borders  on  the  Ohio  river,  and  she 
will  be  near  the  spot. 

The  country  is  very  little  inhabited  on  the  banks  either  of  the 


OBTAINS    A    SITUATION.  63 

Ohio  or  the  Mississippi.  Most  of  it,  along  the  Mississippi  espe 
cially,  is  entirely  overflowed  for  half  the  year.  Sometimes  there 
's  a  little  spot  which  can  be  cultivated,  and  in  such  places  I  have 
Been  the  corn  fifteen  feet  high.  The  banks  of  the  Mississippi  are 
also  covered  with  immense  brakes  of  cane,  or  reed,  which  grow 
very  thick  together,  and  are  of  a  most  beautiful  green. 

I  had  letters  to  some  of  the  first  men  in  Natchez,  which  I 
have  delivered ;  and  they  tell  me  they  have  no  doubt  I  shall 
obtain,  in  a  few  days,  such  a  situation  as  I  wish.  They  appear 
very  friendly,  and  offer  to  assist  me  in  any  way  I  may  desire. 

I  am  very  anxious  to  hear  from  you  all.  You  must  write 
often,  and  tell  me  how  everything  goes  on  at  home — how  the 
neighbors  do,  and  what  crops  you  have  raised  from  the  farm. 
Tell  Uncle  James  to  write  me  too,  if  he  has  not  already  done  so. 
You  will  hear  from  me  again  soon.  In  the  meantime,  my  love 

to  you  all. 

Your  affectionate  son, 

S.  S.  P. 


TO     HIS    BEOTHEE    WILLIAM. 

NATCHEZ,  November  21,  1827.     ' 

DEAR  BKOTHEE : 

You  will,  no  doubt,  be  glad  to  hear — at  any  rate 
I  am  glad  to  be  able  to  write  you — that  I  have  at  length  obtained 
a  situation.  It  is  in  the  family  of  a  widow  lady,  who  lives  about 
twelve  miles  from  here,  in  the  country.  She  has  five  children, 
whom  I  shall  have  to  teach.  It  is  said  to  be  one  of  the 
most  respectable  families  in  the  country.  The  lady,  too,  I  under 
stand,  is  very  pious,  which  will  suit  mother  exactly.  Her  name 
is  Shields.  The  great  advantage  of  the  situation  is,  that  Mrs. 
Shields  has  in  her  house  one  of  the  finest  law-libraries  in  the 
gtate — her  husband  having  been  formerly  Judge  of  the  Supreme 
Court.  I  am  to  have  the  entire  use  of  this  library ;  so  that  I 
shall  be  in  as  good  a  situation  for  pursuing  my  studies,  as  if  I 
were  in  a  lawyer's  office.  I  made  the  engagement  yesterday, 
and  to-morrow  shall  go  out  to  stay. 

I  suppose  it  is  not  far  from  Thanksgiving  time  now.     I  would 


64  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

walk  a  great  way  to  be  at  home  on  that  day.  You  must  remem 
ber  me  when  you  carve  the  roast  turkey,  and  cut  the  pumpkin 
pies.  I  am  exceeding  anxious  to  hear  from  you,  having  had 
but  one  letter  since  J  left  home.  Remember  me,  as  usua.,  to  my 
friends  and  the  neighbors.  My  love  to  you  all. 
Your  affectionate  brother, 

S.  S.  PRENTISS. 


TO     MES.     EVELINA     PIEEOE,      GORHAM,     ME. 

NATCHEZ,  Miss.,  December  6,  1827. 

Mr  DEAR  MADAM: — 

It  is  with  the  greatest  pleasure  that  I  comply 
with  your  request  that  I  should  write  you  some  account  of  my 
fortune  after  I  left  New  England.  It  is  a  task  too  agreeable 
to  omit,  though,  alas!  my  adventures  have  bee.n  of  so  ordinary  a 
nature  that  I  am  afraid  they  are  hardly  worth  relating.  I  have 
met  no  giants — seen  no  damsels  in  distress — and,  upon  my 
honor,  have  been  neither  robbed,  drowned  nor  murdered, — 
although  I  have  travelled  about  three  thousand  miles  since  I 
left  home.  I  beg  leave  to  correct  myself— I  did  see  one  damsel 
in  distress,  and  it  was  a  case  in  which  my  knight-errantry  was 
of  some  avail.  It  was  on  board  one  of  the  packet-boats  between 
Albany  and  Utica,  and  thus  it  was:— A  young  lady,  one  of  the 
passengers,  looking  over  a  newspaper,  saw  the  article  about  a 
Frenchman's  mounting  in  a  balloon  from  the  vessel  which  was 
to  go  over  the  Falls  of  Niagara.  "  Good  heavens!"  said  she  to 
the  gentleman  next  to  her  ;  "  Is  it  a  fact,  or  is  it  only  a  quiz  ?" 
He  could  not  inform  her  ;  she  applied  to  the  next  one— he  was 
as  ignorant  as  the  former.  The  poor  girl  was  in  an  agony  of 
curiosity;  to  one  and  to  all  the  question. was  put,  "Was  it  a 
fact?"  "Was  a  Frenchman  to  rise  in  a  balloon ?"— one  and  all 
were  profoundly  ignorant.  At  last  3he  applied  to  me— but  it 
was  with  a  kind  of  desperation,  and  a  look  which  told  that  she 
did  not  expect  much  from  so  insignificant  a  looking  animal  as 
myself.  I  pitied  her  sad  condition,  and,  thinking  it  would  be 
uncharitable  to  suffer  so  fair  a  maiden  to  die  of  curiosity,  told 
ber  that  it  was  absolutely  a  fact— that  I  had  seen  the  French- 


NIAGARA    FALLS.  65 

man  in  New  York,  and  conversed  with  him.  The  gentlemen 
stared  at  me,  as  much  as  to  say,  in  plain  English,  I  lied.  But 
the  damsel — thinking  she  had  learned  a  wonderful  piece  of 
information — repaid  me  with  a  smile  that  was  richly  worth 
forty — lies.  But  I  beg  your  pardon  for  talking  such  nonsense, 
and  would  advise  you  to  skip  the  preceding  page. 

I  travelled  very  rapidly  from  Portland  to  Cincinnati,  stop 
ping  only  at  Boston,  New  York  and  Niagara  Falls.  At  Boston 
I  stayed  a  week — part  of  which  I  spent  at  Mr.  F.'s,  and  very 
pleasantly,  too.  At  New  York  I  stayed  but  three  days,  nor  had 
I  any  desire  to  stay  longer — two  or  three  hours  were  entirely 
sufficient  to  gratify  all  my  curiosity  for  seeing.  I  have  some 
what  the  feeling  of  the  trapper  in  the  Prairie  in  that  respect ; 
and  the  Highlands  of  the  Hudson  afforded  me  far  more  gratifica 
tion  than  all  I  saw  in  the  city  of  New  York.  I  stayed  at  Niagara 
but  two  days,  though  I  should  have  been  glad  to  tarry  there  a 
week,  could  I  have  done  it  conveniently.  I  was  disappointed  in 
this  stupendous  cataract;  as,  indeed,  I  could  hardly  fail  to  have 
been.  I  had  heard  and  read  of  it  so  often  that  I  had  formed  a 
vague  idea  of  something  vast  and  grand  beyond  what  it  is  possi 
ble  for  nature  to  produce.  Of  course  when  I  saw  the  real 
cataract,  though  far  the  most  sublime  and  magnificent  sight  I 
had  ever  beheld,  still  it  did  not  equal  my  expectation.  In  fact, 
I  have  been  disappointed  in  almost  everything  I  have  seen,  and 
begin  to  suspect  that  there  is  not  so  much  difference  between 
one  part  of  the  country  and  another  as  I  had  imagined.  Indeed, 
I  have  a  vastly  better  opinion  even  of  the  good  town  of  Gorham, 
than  I  had  before  I  left  it.  The  imagination  is  very  prone  to 
'  clothe  remote  objects  with  a  thousand  charms  which,  in  reality, 
they  do  not  possess ;  and  whatever  knowledge  of  fact  is  want 
ing,  is  amply  made  up  by  the  illusions  of  fancy.  For  this  reason 
we  prefer  visiting  remote  places,  to  those  which  are  near  us ; 
and  a  person  will  often  go  a  thousand  miles  to  see  an  object, 
which  a  man  who  lives  within  twenty  of  it,  has  never  taken  the 
trouble  to  examine. 

'Tis  distance  lends  enchantment  to  the  view, 
And  robes  the  mountain  in  its  azure  hue. 


66  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

At  Cincinnati  I  stayed  about  two  months;  during  which  time 
I  pursued  my  studies  in  the  office  of  Mr.  Wright.  My  funds 
beginning  then  to  wax  low,  I  was  obliged  to  bestir  myself,  and 
concluded  to  try  my  fortune  further  south.  *  *  *  •* 

I  have  now  written  you  a  letter,  which,  I  am  afraid,  will 
exhaust  your  patience  in  reading.  I  hope,  however,  you  as  well 
as  Mr.  Pierce,  will  consider  it  worth  an  answer ;  not  so  much 
on  account  of  itself,  as  the  feeling  which  dictated  it.  The  plea 
sant  days  I  spent  at  your  house  will  not  soon  be  forgotten — for 
they  were  among  the  pleasantest  of  my  life ;  and  I  shall  always 
gratefully  remember  the  kind  interest  which  Mr.  Pierce  and 
yourself  were  pleased  to  express  in  rny  welfare.  Accept  my 
sincere  and  respectful  wishes  for  your  happiness. 
Your  obedient  servant, 

S.  S.  PRENTISS. 

Nbta  Bene. — The  lasses  are  not  so  handsome  here  as  they  are 
in  Maine. 


TO    HIS    MOTHER. 

NATCHEZ,  Miss.,  December  22,  1827. 

MY  DEAR  MOTHER: 

I  am  afraid  you  will  think  I  write  almost  too  often. 
At  any  rate  you  can  hardly  complain  that  I  do  not  write  often 
enough,  since  I  have  sent  you,  I  believe,  some  nine  or  ten  letters 
within  the  short  time  I  have  been  from  home.  I  wrote  to  Wil 
liam  about  four  weeks  ago,  informing  you  that  I  had,  at  length, 
become  stationary,  which,  doubtless,  you  were  very  glad  to  hear, 
as  you  might  begin  to  think  I  had  become  a  wandering  sort  of  a 
character.  I  have  been  now  three  weeks  in  my  new  situation, 
and  am  very  much  pleased  with  it  indeed.  It  is  an  extremely 
pleasant  family,  and  my  labor  is  slight,  in  comparison  with  what 
it  would  be  in  a  common  school,  and  the  only  objection  I  have 
is  its  great  distance  from  home  ;  a  circumstance  which  I  presume 
I  think  of  fully  as  often  as  you  can  yourself.  If  I  could  run 
over  a  couple  of  thousand  miles  in  the  course  of  an  evening,  you 
would  be  likely  to  see  me  amongst  you  two  or  three  times  a 


WINTER  AT  THE  SOUTH,  AND  COTTON.          67 

week,  at  least.  However,  as  that  is  impossible,  at  least  for  such 
a  slow  traveller  as  I  am,  I  Liust  even  make  the  best  of  it,  and 
visit  you  in  imagination,  if  1  cannot  in  reality.  I  shall  probably 
continue  here  a  year,  at  any  rate  till  a  better  situation  offers. 
]  mean  in  point  of  salary,  for  in  other  respects  I  should  not  wish 
a. better.  I  have,  as  I  told  you  in  my  last,  three  hundred  dol 
lars  a  year  and  board.  I  have  also  the  privilege  of  taking  in 
two  or  three  of  the  neighbors'  children,  which  will  probably 
bring  me  in  another  hundred.  I  am  confined  about  three  or  ft  ur 
hours  a  day,  and  the  rest  of  tne  time  I  have  entirely  to  myself. 
I  spend  it  in  studying  law,  reading  and  gunning.  I  have  a  horse 
whenever  I  wish  to  ride,  and  gun  and  ammunition,  when  I  wish 
to  go  a  hunting,  which  I  do  an  hour  or  two  almost  every  day. 
Indeed,  I  have  everything  found  me  I  can  possibly  wish,  and 
the  only  expense  I  can  be  at,  will  be  for  my  clothing,  of  which 
I  have  a  sufficient  quantity  for  a  long  time  to  come,  thanks  to 
the  care  of  a  mother.  They  have  no  snow  in  this  part  of  the 
country;  .of  course  no  sleigh-riding,  a  thing  I  shall  miss  very 
much.  It  is  already  their  winter  here,  yet  a  fire  is  seldom 
needed,  and  the  roses  are  blooming  every  day  in  the  garden. 
They  sow  green  peas  at  Christmas,  and  in  February  the  spring 
opens,  and  they  go  to  work  in  the  fields.  For  myself,  however, 
I  prefer  the  cold  weather  of  the  North  ;  it  is  so  delightful  to  sit 
by  a  good  fire  and  hear  the  storm  whistling  without  and  beating 
against  the  windows,  while  all  is  comfortable  and  pleasant 
within.  Still  this  is  a  very  beautiful  climate  in  the  winter,  and 
perhaps  I  shall  like  it  even  better  than  my  own,  when  I  become 
a  little  more  accustomed  to  it.  Cotton  is  the  production  of  this 
part  of  the  Union,  and  here  they  raise  nothing  else  upon  their 
plantations.  I  have  seen  thousands  of  acres  of  it  since  I  came 
here.  It  is  picked  from  the  stalks  by  negroes,  and  being  cleaned 
of  the  seed  by  machines  culled  gins,  is  then  packed  up  in  bales, 
nearly  as  it  comes  to  you.  The  cotton  plant  is  about  the  size 
of  vour  currant  hushes,  or  perhaps  a  little  larger,  and  the  cotton 
grows  in  pods  as  large  as  hen's  eggs.  When  it  is  ripe  the  pods 
burst  open,  so  that  a  field  of  ripe  cotton  looks  somewhat  MS  if  it 
vere  covered  with  snow.  The  plantations  yield  from  fifty  to 


68  MEMOIR    01'    S.    S.    PREXTISS. 

three  or  four  hundred  bales  each.  I  wrote  to  Mr.  Boyd,  at  Cin 
cinnati,  a  month  since,  to  forward  me  any  letters  there  might  be 
for  me  there.  In  a  few  days,  I  presume,  I  shall  receive  them? 
which  I  am  very  anxious  to  do,  as  I  have  had  but  one  letter  from 
any  of  you  since  I  left  home.  I  wish  you  to  write  me  at  least 
once  in  three  weeks,  and  tell  me  all  the  news  of  your  part  of  the 
world.;  how  the  children  do,  how  they  come  on  with  their 
studies,  how  much  you  have  raised  on  the  farm,  who  among  my 
acquaintances  are  getting  married,  how  the  neighbors  all  do  ; 
the  most  trifling  things  will  all  be  interesting  to  me,  now  I  am 
so  far  from  home.  I  believe  I  told  you  in  iny  last  to  direct  your 
letters  to  Natchez,  Miss.  I  also  date  mine  there,  though  I  live 
ten  miles  from  the  city.  My  love  to  William,  and  Samuel,  and 
all  the  children.  Eemember  me,  also,  to  all  the  neighbors. 
Receive  for  yourself  the  best  wishes  of  you:  truly  affectionate 
Km, 

S   S.  PBENTISS. 


THE    FAK:,i    SOU).  59 


CHAPTER    IT. 

Letters  Home  while  teaching  in  the  Family  of  Mrs.  Shields— Notice  of  G-eorpe  W 
Pierce — Letters  from  his  Class-mate,  Appleton — Takes  Charge  of  an  Academy—- 
Trip  into  Louisiana — Anecdotes  of  him  by  one  of  his  pupils — Is  Licensed,  anj 
commences  the  Practice  of  Law  in  Partnership  with  Gen.  Huston — His  Appear 
ance  at  this  time— Anecdote  of  his  first  Speech  at  the  Bar— Trip  to  Columbia 
Springs — His  Views  of  Slavery. 

^Ex.  19—22.     1828—1831. 


TO     HIS     MOTHER. 

NATCHEZ,  February  12,  1828. 

MY  DEAR  MOTHER: — 

I  again  sit  down  to  the  pleasant  task  of  writing  to 
you — and,  for  a  little  while,  shall  almost  imagine  myself  at 
home.  Indeed  it  requires  very  little  stretch  of  the  imagination 
to  carry  me  back  amongst  you  ;  and  often,  when  I  awake  in  the 
morning,  I  expect  to  hear  you  calling  me  to  breakfast — forget 
ting  that  I  arn  two  thousand  miles  beyond  the  reach  of  your 
voice. 

I  received,  last  week,  a  letter  from  you  and  William,  dated 
December  24th  ;  and  was  very  glad  that  you  had  heard  of  my 
safe  arrival  here,  as  I  knew  you  would  be  anxious  about  rne  till 
you  did.  William  says  you  were  all  astonished  at  my  letter 
from  Louisville — you  cannot  have  been  more  so  than  I  was  to 
find,  by  his  letter,  that  you  had  sold  the  farm,  and  moved  into 
the  village.  Though  I  doubt  not  it  is  for  the  best,  still,  I  assure 
you,  it  made  me  feel  disagreeably  to  learn  that  the  ^lace,  where 
we  had  so  long  lived  together,  where  I  have  sa  often  been 
a-gunning  and  fishing,  had  passed  into  tlie  hands  of  a  stranger. 
Perhaps,  one  of  these  days,  one  of  us  will  be  able  to  repurchase 
\t.  But  I  doubt  not,  as  I  said  before,  it  was  much  the  best 


10  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTI3S. 

thing  yon  could  do ;  and  I  am  more  especially  glad  because  it 
will  free  you  from  so  much  care  and  trouble,  and  will  give  the 
children  such  great  advantages  for  schooling.  You  must  now 
be  very  pleasantly  situated — that  is,  if  you  have  got  into  your 

new  house.  I  imagined  it  could  be  no  other  than  Mr.  C 's, 

as  T  had  heard  you  speak  frequently  of  purchasing  that,  in  case 
you  should  ever  move  to  the  village. 

I  am  glad  that  William  has  given  up  the  idea  of  going  to  sea ; 
in  my  opinion  he  has  acted  wisely.  What  does  Samuel  turn  his 

mind  to  ?  As  for  G ,  we  were  to  make  an  admiral,  or  some 

other  great  character,  of  him  ;  tell  him  to  mind  his  book,  and 
take  care  of  the  garden.  I  am  glad  Abby  has  the  advantage  of 
the  seminary,  for  she  is  sufficiently  old  to  attend  some  such 
institution.  The  girls  ought  to  have  all  the  advantages  possible; 
we  boys  can  easily  take  care  of  ourselves.  I  am  very  much 
alarmed  to  hear  that  your  health  is  not  as  good  as  it  has  been. 
I  hope  you  will  take  every  possible  care  of  it — do  not  be  over 
anxious  about  us  children. 

The  first  quarter  of  my  school  is  out  to-morrow  night.  I  go 
into  company  very  little,  though  I  have  been  introduced  to  most 
of  the  people  hereabouts — I  feel  no  inclination  for  society — and, 
besides,  I  cannot  afford  the  time  from  my  studies.  I  wish  to  get 
through  with  my  profession,  and  settle  somewhere  as  soon  as 
possible.  Sometimes,  however,  I  am  very  lonesome,  and  would 
give  a  good  deal,  could  I  drop  in  of  an  evening,  and  find  you  all 
together. 

I  do  not  like  the  manner  of  living  here,  so  well  as  I  do  our 
Northern  fashion.  The  white  people  themselves  differ  very 
little,  as  I  can  perceive,  from  those  of  our  own  part  of  the 
country.  Slavery  is  the  great  pest  of  this  as  well  as  all  the 
other  Southern  States.  It  is  considered  disgraceful  for  a  white 
man  to  do  any  kind  of  hand  labor — and  everything  is  done  by 
the  slaves.  Of  course,  things  are  done  in  a  very  poor  and 
slovenly  manner ;  and,  though  the  people  here  are  far  wealthier 
than  they  are  in  the  North,  yet  I  do  not  think  they  live  so  com 
fortably  or  so  happily.  The  negroes  themselves,  however, 
appear  to  enjoy  life,  and  are,  for  aught  I  see,  as  happy  as  theii 


HIS    PUPILS.  71 

masters.  It  is  not  often  that  they  are  treated  so  cruelly  as  we 
are  accustomed  to  suppose,  and  iu  general  they  are  better  off 
than  they  would  be  if  they  were  free — still  it  is  a  hard  case  for 
them  at  best. 

I  have  nothing  new  to  tell  you  concerning  myself  since  I 
wrote  last.  As  I  shall  probably  continue  here  a  year,  at  least, 
and  should  like  to  have  the  news  from  Maine,  I  wish  you  would 
send  rne  the  weekly  Eastern  Argus.  It'  you  will  speak  to  Mr. 
Pierce,  he  will  attend  to  it. 

And  now,  my  dear  mother,  as  it  is  very  late,  I  bid  you  good 
night,  and  also  the  children,  to  all  of  whom  I  send  my  love. 
Remember  me,  as  usual,  to  all  my  friends. 

Your  affectionate  son, 

S.  S.  PEENTISS. 


TO     HIS     BROTHER     WILLIAM. 

NATCHEZ,  April  20, 1828. 

DEAR  BROTHER  : — 

I  was  very  glad,  as  you  may  well  suppose,  to  hear 
from  you  all  again,  and  to  know  that  you  are  well  and  happy. 
I  have  nothing  new  to  tell  you  concerning  myself,  as  I  keep 
pretty  close  to  my  business — studying  all  the  time  I  can  spare — 
and,  of  course,  meet  with  nothing  very  interesting  or  extraor 
dinary.  I  continue  to  be  much  pleased  with  my  situation — and, 
indeed,  do  not  think  I  could  have  found  one  in  the  whole  State 
so  well  adapted  to  my  views.  As  I  told  you  before,  I  have  the 
sole  use  of  a  very  extensive  and  excellent  law  library,  which  I 
consider  as  good  as  a  hundred  dollars  a-year  at  least.  There  is 
also  a  large  library  of  miscellaneous  books — so  that  I  am  in  no 
want  of  this  essential  article,  without  which,  indeed,  I  should 
hardly  be  able  to  exist.  The  family  is  a  kind  and  amiable  one  ; 
and,  if  I  did  not  utterly  detest  the  business  of  teaching,  my 
situation  would  be  quite  bearable. 

Mother  requests  the  names  and  ages  of  my  scholars.  They 
are  as  follows  : — William,  who  has  just  returned  from  Nashville; 
he  is  about  eighteen  years  of  age,  and  a  fine  young  fellow.  The 


MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

next  is  Gabriel,  who  is  sixteen,  an  excellent  scholar,  and  also  a 
fine  young  man.  The  others  are  Francina,  Joseph,  and  Elizabeth, 
of  the  respective  ages  of  thirteen,  nine,  and  six.  They  are  all  of 
good  disposition,  and  I  find  no  trouble  whatever  in  managing 
them. 

I  am  glad  to  hear  you  have  given  up  the  idea  of  going  to  sea ; 
at  least  if  you  can  get  business  on  shore.  Probably  you  will 
turn  your  attention  towards  trading,  with  the  intention  of 
becoming  a  merchant.  At  any  rate  that  is  what  I  would  do 
myself,  had  I  not  a  profession.  I  consider  it  far  the  easiest,  as 
well  as  one  of  the  most  respectable,  roads  to  wealth  ;  and  did  I 
cave  much  about  wealth,  I  would,  even  now,  change  my  pur 
suits.  For  I  consider  the  profession  of  law  in  New  England 
(where  I  think  I  shall  settle  myself  eventually,  after  all  ),  as  one 
of  the  very  poorest,  in  point  of  emolument.  In  this  State,  how 
ever,  the  lawyers  "live  in  clover," as  we  say;  the  most  ordinary 
make  two  or  three  thousand  dollars  a-year,  and  some  of  them 
five,  six,  and  seven.  Perhaps  you  will  ask  me  why  I  intend 
leaving  a  place  where  money  is  so  easily  made?  I  am  not  sure 
that  I  shall;  but  the  reasons  which  induce  me  to  think  about  it 
are  these — one  of  the  first  and  most  powerful,  as  you  may  well 
suppose,  is  that  I  may  be  nearer  my  friends ;  another  is,  that  I 
would  dislike  to  live  in  a  slave-holding  State ;  furthermore,  I 
have  seen  no  part  of  the  Union  which  I  think  pleasanter,  all 
things  considered,  than  that  which  I  left.  The  only  advantages 
which  these  Southern  States  possess  over  those  of  the  North, 
are  the  greater  facilities  they  afford  for  the  accumulation  of 
wealth,  and  this,  you  know,  I  consider  a  very  small  item  in  the 
account  of  human  happiness.  At  least,  I  know  it  would  have 
small  influence  upon  my  own.  There  are  some  other  reasons 
which  induce  me  to  think  that,  in  the  course  of  two  or  three 
years,  you  will  see  me  amongst  you  again. 

You  astonished  me  very  much  by  your  account  of  the  won 
derful  things  that  are  going  on  at  Gorham.  A  dancing  school  1 
and  you  attending  it ! !  Why  really,  brother,  I  should  not  have 
expected  that  of  you.  I  am  afraid  you  have  become  entangled 
with  some  of  the  young  ladies  at  the  village,  and  are  trying  to 
"Lop"  into  their  good  graces. 


AUNT     D- 


Pray  write,  you  or  mother,  as  often  as  every  three  weeks, 
and  oftener  still,  if  convenient.     Tell  me  everything  that  hap 
pens — even  the  most  minute  news  will  be  interesting.     My  lovo 
to  you  all.     Remember  me  particularly  to  Mr.  Pierce  and  wife 
— as  well  as  to  all  our  relatives  and  acquaintances. 
Your  affectionate  brother, 

8  S.  PEKNTIBS. 

My  kindest  respects  to  my  new-married  cousin  B ,  and 

tell  her  I  wish  her  much  joy.     How  is  Aunt  D ?     Tell  her 

I  think  of  her  often.* 


TO     HIS     BBOTHEE     WILLIAM. 

NATCHEZ,  June  23, 1828. 

DEAE  BROTHER  : — 

The  weather  here,  for  two  months  past,  has  been 
intensely  warm ;  I  do  not,  however,  suffer  so  much  from  it  as  I 
anticipated — owing  in  a  great  measure,  as  I  think,  to  my  very 
profuse  perspiration,  which  is  so  great  that  my  clothes  are 
almost  continually  wet  through  with  it.  My  health  has,  as  yet, 
been  very  good,  and  I  have  hopes  will  continue  so  through  the 
summer. 

I  have  ridden  round  the  country  considerably  since  I  have 


*  This  venerated  relative  died  in  1849,  at  the  advanced  age  of  more  than  four 
score  years.  She  was  a  native  of  Cape  Cod,  and  an  excellent  specimen  of  the 
household  energy,  thrift,  good  sense,  and  self-denying  toil,  which  marked  the  noble 
women  of  New  England  in  the  age  of  the  Revolution,  or  in  the  earlier  days  of  the 
Pilgrims.  Her  kindness  and  personal  devotion  to  the  sick,  were  quite  wonderful. 
At  Gorham,  where  the  most  active  portion  of  her  life  was  passed,  she  was  a  true 
Sister  of  Charity  ;  and  long  will  her  memory  be  cherished  in  that  pleasant  village. 

For  many  years  hardly  anybody  could  be  sick  without  sending  for  "  Aunt  D ;" 

and  whether  it  were  night  or  day,  in  summer  or  winter,  sunshine  or  storm,  who 
ever  knew  her  refuse  to  come,  if  she  had  strength  to  do  so?  It  was  worth  a  fit  of 
illness  to  have  her  to  tend  you ;  she  was  always  so  cheerful,  and  motherly,  and 
•trong-mincled.  It  would  be  a  long  record  that  should  commemorate  all  her  acts  of 
mercy  and  neighborly  love  ;  that  should  tell  how  many  nights  of  watching  she  spent 
in  the  sick-rooms,  alike  of  rich  and  poor,  or  how  many  eyes  were,  by  her  friendly 
hands,  closed  in  death.  This  passing  tribute  to  her  worth  is  the  more  grateful, 
inasmuch  as  she  had  a  particular  affection  for  the  subject  of  this  memoir.- 


74  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

been  here,  but  have  seen  nothing  worth  relating.*  The  appear 
ance  of  things  is  as  uninteresting  as  you  can  well  imagine 
There  are  no  mountains  to  enliven  the  prospect;  the  stream* 
and  brooks  are  little  muddy  puddles,  running  through  gullies 
and  quagmires, — and  the  lakes,  of  which  there  is  a  great  num 
ber,  are  perfect  honey-pots,  very  similar  to  one  or  two  little 
ponds,  which  you  may  recollect,  on  the  way  to  Sebago  Pond. 
These  lakes  abound  in  snakes  and  alligators.  I  have  frequently 
rode  out  to  several  lakes  a  few  miles  from  here,  for  the  purpose 
of  hunting  wild  ducks,  and  have  seen  some  of  these  enormous 
alligators — twelve  or  fifteen  feet  in  length.  In  the  heat  of  the 
day  they  come  out  of  the  water  upon  the  banks,  where  they 
delight  to  lie  and  bask  in  the  sun.  I  have  been  up  to  several  as 
they  lay  asleep  on  the  shore — within  two  feet — and  examined 
them  as  closely  as  I  pleased.  They  are  not  dangerous  upon 
land,  though  considered  so  in  the  water. 

The  houses  of  the  planters,  notwithstanding  their  wealth,  are 


*  The  spot  where  Natchez  stands  forms  the  principal  scene  of  the  romance  of 
The  Natchee — of  which  Atala,  mentioned  in  your  letter,  is  you  know,  an  episode. 
I  have  read  the  work  since  I  have  been  here,  and  with  great  interest,  as  you  may 
imagine.  *  *  The  appearance  of  the  country,  in  the  vicinity  of  Natchez,  is 
the  most  singular  I  have  ever  seen — especially  when  contrasted  with  the  rest  of 
the  Mississippi  banks.  I  have  been  in  every  direction  for  forty  or  fifty  miles 
around,  and  have,  therefore,  had  a  good  opportunity  for  observing  it.  Though 
there  are  no  hills  of  any  magnitude,  yet  it  is  the  most  broken  and  uneven  country 
in  the  world.  Apparently  it  might  once  have  been  level,  but  has  been  torn  to 
pieces  by  the  rains,  which,  by-the-by,  are  far  more  violent  here  than  in  the  North. 
Indeed,  the  country  is  a  continued  succession  of  ridges,  ravines  and  gullies.  The 
nature  of  the  soil  is  such,  that  a  single  rain  will  often  tear  a  field  to  pieces,  and 
render  it  entirely  unfit  for  cultivation.  It  is  principally  of  clay,  and  destitute  of  all 
minerals.  I  have  not  seen  a  rock  as  large  as  my  head  since  I  came  here.  With 
respect  to  the  state  of  society,  I  have  not  found  so  great  a  difference  between  the 
South  and  the  North  as  I  had  anticipated.  Still  the  distinction,  in  many  respects, 
is  marked.  It  being  considered  here,  degrading  for  a  white  man  to  labor  in  the 
field,  the  people,  of  course,  have  much  time  upon  their  hands,  to  get  rid  of  which 
they  have  balls,  parties,  ride  about,  and,  especially,  employ  much  of  their  time  in 
hunting  (  deer  are  their  principal  game,  of  which  there  Is  a  great  abundance;  the 
largest  portion  of  this  State  being  still  a  forest).  They  live  rather  more  freely 
than  we  of  the  North,  an  J  :ire  what,  perhaps,  we  should  call  a  little  dissipated; 
yet,  on  the  whole,  I  think  the  state  of  society  is  more  correct,  and  the  people  mor« 
moral,  than  they  are  usually  considered.--Z>ft<?r  to  Judge  Pierce,  April  11,  1828. 


GEORGE     W.     PIERCE.  7 

not  better  than  those  of  our  common  farmers.  They  are,  usually 
two  or  three  miles  distant  from  each  other,  and  each  one  sur 
rounded  by  some  ten,  twenty  or  thirty  negro  cabins,  which  are 
the  very  pictures  of  misery  and  filth.  You  inquire  about  politics. 
I  can  give  but  slight  information  on  that  subject,  as  it  is  one 
concerning  which  I  trouble  myself  none  at  all,  and  for  which 
I  do  not  care  a  brass  button.  Old  Hickory,  I  suppose,  has  this 
State,  though  the  friends  of  the  Administration  are  quite  nume 
rous.  When  I  go  into  Natchez,  I  will  have  one  of  our  papers 
sent  you,  by  which  you  will  learn  more  than  I  can  tell  you  on 
the  subject.  I  have  received  the  Argus  regularly,  and  am  much 
obliged  to  you  for  it.  It  will  give  me  all  the  news  from  Maine. 
I  am  glad  you  have  become  acquainted  with  Billiard  and  G. 
Pierce.  Milliard  is  a  particular  friend  of  mine,  and  though  I  can 
boast  of  nothing  more  than  a  common  acquaintance  with  Gr. 
Pierce,  I  think  him  a  very  fine  fellow.*  My  love  to  you  all. 
Your  affectionate  brother, 

S.  S.  PBENTISS. 


*  George  W.  Pierce  was  born  at  Baldwin,  Me.,  December  2, 1805.  He  graduated 
at  Bowdoin  College,  in  the  class  of  1825,  and  studied  law  at  Portland,  with  Hon. 
Stephen  Longfellow  (a  name  not  less  honored  by  the  social  worth,  patriotic  virtues, 
and  legal  ability  of  the  father,  than  oy  the  poetic  genius  of  the  son),  and 
afterwards  at  the  Law-school  in  North  Hampton,  where  he  occupied  the  same 
room,  I  believe,  with  his  friend  and  distant  relative,  President  Pierce.  He  was 
admitted  to  the  Bar  of  Cumberland  County  in  1829,  and  in  1832  married  the  eldest 
daughter  of  Mr.  Longfellow.  He  was  rising  rapidly  in  his  profession,  having 
already  twice  represented  Portland  in  the  State  Legislature,  and  been  elected  in 
1834,  County  Attorney,  when  sudden  disease  cut  him  off,  in  the  very  bloom  of  man- 
hood,  Nov.  15,  1835.  His  untimely  decease  was  regarded  as  a  public  misfortune,  and 
smote  with  grief  an  unusually  large  and  cultivated  circle  of  kindred  and  friends. 
At  the  opening  of  the  Supreme  Court,  on  the  day  preceding  the  interment,  the  late 
Chief  Justice  Mellen  announced  his  death  with  the  touching  eloquence  of  a  perso 
nal  bereavement,  to  which  Judge  Parris  responded  in  a  similar  strain.  Had  his 
life  been  spared,  he  bid  fair  to  reach  high  honors  in  the  Democratic  party,  of  which 
he  was  so  bright  an  ornament.  I  remember  him  well  when  studying,  for  a  while, 
in  his  brother's  office  at  Gorham.  Though  a  mere  boy  at  the  time,  I  shall  never 
lose  the  impression  he  made  upon  me  by  his  manly  beauty,  the  gentle  courtesy  of 
his  manners,  and  the  cordial,  benignant  smile  with  which  he  always  accosted  me. 
He  was,  indeed,  a  fine  specimen  of  humanity,  and  one  might  almost  wish  to  die  aa 
early  as  he  died,  for  the  sake  of  being  mourned  with  such  holy  and  undecaying 
affection  as  has  enshrined  his  memory  ! — ED. 


76  MEMOIR    OF    S     S.    PRENTISSf. 

About  this  time  he  became  extremely  restless  and  melan« 
eho?y.  For  several  months  a  dark  cloud  seemed  to  hang  over 
his  mind.  He  avoided  society,  and  refused  to  tell  any  one 
the  cause  of  his  gloom.  In  the  letter  to  Judge  Pierce,  just 
quoted,  he  writes  : 

It  was,  I  assure  you,  with  no  common  degree  of  pleasure  I 
received  the  kind  letter  from  yourself  and  wife,  which  came  to 
my  hand  a  few  days  since.  It  gratified  me  much  to  hear  of  your 
welfare,  and  also  to  perceive  I  was  not  entirely  forgotten  hy 
those  whose  remembrance  I  value  so  highly,  more  especially 
as  I  had  begun  to  feel  the  sorrowful  conviction  that  I  was 
already  blotted  from  the  memory  of  all  except  the  few  whom 
the  ties  of  kindred  place  under  a  kind  of  necessity  of  recollecting 
me.  I  know  not  how  it  is,  but  though  there  is  no  person  in  the 
world  whose  heart  responds  more  warmly,  when  touched  upon 
the  chord  of  affection,  it  has  yet  been  my  fortune  to  make  very 
few  friends  (perhaps  not  one)  in  the  short  portion  of  life  through 
which  I  have  travelled.  I  speak  not  now  of  the  common  herd 
of  acquaintances,  such  as  I  have  here,  such  as  any  one  may  have, 
who  will  laugh  when  you  laugh,  but  when  you  look  sorrowful, 
flee  from  you  as  if  you  were  infected.  I  mean  those  who  would 
at  least  drop  a  tear  over  your  grave,  and  read  with  a  sorrowful 
eye,  the  "  Hie  jacet  "  upon  your  tombstone.  I  doubt  not  but, 
the  defect  is  in  myself;  but  I  have  seldom  met  the  person  whose 
feelings  were  so  much  in  unison  with  my  own,  as  to  make  an 
intimacy  either  practicable  or  desirable.  You  may  judge,  then, 
of  the  great  pain  I  should  reel,  upon  losing  the  remembrance  of 
the  very  few  whose  remembrance  I  care  anything  about  pre 
serving. 1  am  very  grateful,  [he  adds,  in  a  note  to  Mrs. 

Pierce,  of  the  same  date]  both  to  yourself  and  Mr.  Pierce,  for 
the  interest  you  express  in  my  fortunes,  and  can  only  assure  you 
that  your  kind  feelings  are  fully  and  heartily  reciprocated.  The 
short  time  I  spent  in  your  house,  seems  to  me  now  like  one  of 
those  green  spots  which  frequently  spring  up  in  the  midst  of  a 
desert,  and  which  are  the  more  delightful  from  the  barrenness 
that  surrounds  them. 


LETTER  FROM  HIS  FRIEND  APPLETON.          71 

The  following  additional  extracts  from  letters  of  his  friend 
Appleton,  though  partly  belonging  to  an  earlier  period,  reflect 
light  upon  this  phase  of  his  inner  life.  The  last  of  them  is  a 
model  of  good  sense  and  friendly  counsel.  Happy  would  it 
have  been  for  him,  if  his  morbid  impulses  had  always  been  sa 
wisely  and  kindly  treated. 

WILLIAM     APPLETON    TO    S.     S.     PEENTISS. 

DERBY,  August  11,  1827. 

DEAR  CHUM: 

I  received  yours  in  due  course  of  mail,  and  yester 
day  a  letter  from  T ,  informing  me  of  your  leaving  for  Ohio.    I 

am  glad  that  you  received,  before  setting  out,  such  favorable 
accounts  of  matters  and  things,  and  trust  your  anticipations 
will  be  realized.  I  thought  I  had  told  you  of  the  intentions  I 
formerly  had  of  going  to  the  South.  If  I  had  gone,  however,  1 
should  have  hardly  been  nearer  you  than  I  now  am.  I  have 
some  thoughts  of  engaging  here  for  some  time  longer,  but  it  is 
uncertain  ;  I  want  you  to  write  me  in  your  next,  with  regard  to 
the  facilities  for  the  study  of  the  law,  at  Cincinnati.  Whether 
it  is  possible  to  get  situations  which  will  defray  expenses, 
while,  at  the  same  time,  one  is  pursuing  the  study.  How  long 
a  time  is  required  for  admission?  Can  a  person  of  moderate 
abilities  succeed  better  there  than  here,  or  support  himself  and 
gain  a  competence  more  easily  ?  These  questions  I  will  thank 
you  to  answer  to  the  best  of  your  ability,  and  also,  give  such 
other  information  as  you  may  think  useful.  I  have,  for  some  time 
thought  that  I  should  practise  my  profession  in  some  place  more 
free  from  lawyers,  and  fruitful  in  clients,  than  New  England  ;  but 
I  have  as  yet  formed  no  definite  plan  for  my  future  life.  The  pro  • 
spect  of  being  near  you  would  be  a  very  great  inducement  to  me 
to  go.  Indeed  the  prospect  of  finding  so  old  and  firm  a  friend, 
would  alone  reconcile  me  to  leaving  so  many.  You  will  oblige 
me  by  writing  me  about  the  matter  as  soon  as  possible.  I  don't 
think  it  at  all  probable  that  I  shall  go  for  some  time,  if  indeed 
I  ever  do,  but  I  should  like  to  have  some  means  of  comparing 
the  advantages  jf  the  two  States,  before  I  form  any  plans  frr  a 


78  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

permanent  residence  here.  As  I  told  you  on  my  first  page,  I  heard 
from  T ,  yesterday.  He  was  on  the  eve  of  leaving  Bruns 
wick,  and  did  not  intend  to  return  there. 

I  shall  probably  attend  the  Cambridge  Commencement,  and  go 

to  N ,  from  Boston.     I  hope  nothing  will  happen  to  pi-event, 

as  I  anticipate  much  pleasure  in  seeing  T again,  and  talking 

over  auld  lang  syne.  The  recollection  of  two  or  three  college 
friendships  are  the  only  things  which  I  can  recur  to  with  plea 
sure,  as  happening  during  my  college  life,  and  I  trust  }TOU  know 
me  too  well  to  think  there  is  any  affectation  of  sincerity  in  my 
saying  that  through  life  I  shall  remain  true  to  the  friends  I  have 
acquired. 

You  did  not  inform  me  with  regard  to  your  intentions,  whe 
ther  they  were  to  enter  the  practice  as  soon  as  possible  or  pur 
sue  some  other  employment,  for  some  time. 

You  saw,  I  suppose,  some  of  our  classmates  on  your  way.  I  am 
entirely  ignorant  of  the  fate  of  most  of  them. 

I  shall  endeavor  to  hunt  up  McLellan  and  Apthorp,  in  Boston. 
I  saw  Joe  a  short  time  since.  He  appears  already,  what  in 
college  was  apparently  the  highest  object  of  his  ambition,  a 
complete  blood. 

If  your  letters  give  me  favorable  accounts  of  the  place,  it  is 
possible  that  I  may  then  set  out  for  the  Western  Canaan.  I 
wish  I  could  tell  you  some  news,  but  I  know  of  nothing.  I 
have  neither  seen  nor  heard  of  any  person  or  thing  lately,  which 
would  interest  you  in  the  least.  Indeed,  I  can  think  of  nothing 
else  to  say,  unless  I  should  reiterate  expressions  of  my  friendship 
for  you,  which  you  are  too  well  assured  of  to  require.  Write 
soon,  and  long. 

Sincerely  yours, 

WM.  APPLETON. 


FROM  THE  SAME  TO  THE  SAME. 

DERBY,  Oct.  14,  1827. 
DEAR  Cnoi : — 

I  received   your  letter  in  due  course  of  mail,  and 
was  sorry  that  I  had  proposed  to  vou  ti  ose  questions,  the  answers 


COLLEGE    NEWS.  79 

to  which,  almost  filled  your  letter,  as  you  had  so  little  room  to 
talk  about  yourself.  A  day  or  two  after  I  last  wrote  you,  I  made 
an  engagement  to  remain  here  a  year  longer,  so  for  the  pre 
sent,  at  least,  I  shall  not  think  of  visiting  the  Western  Country. 
You  almost  frightened  me  by  the  story  >ou  told  of  the  state  of 
your  finances,  but  I  trust  you  have  ere  this  obtained  a  situation 
lucrative  enough  to  reimburse  you.  You  want  to  hear  all  about 
matters  and  things,  and  I  will  tell  you  as  well  as  I  can  recollect. 
I  attended  Cambridge  Commencement,  saw  Mac.  in  Boston, 
also,  Tom  McDougall.  Cleaveland  and  Merriam  visited  me  some 
days  since.  They  are  at  Andover.  Cleaveland  intends  going  to 
New  York  soon,  to  finish  his  study,  and  to  practice  Law.  Merriam 
to  be  a  pedagogue  for  life.  They  had  a  tolerable  Commence 
ment  at  Bowdoin. 

I  had  a  letter  from  Lord  lately.  He  will  soon  go  into  business 
as  a  merchant.  He  mentions  having  seen  several  of  our  class 
mates,  Farrar  and  others. 

I  saw  Moulton,  of  the  class  after  us,  at  meeting  to-day,  but  not 
long  enough  to  learn  the  Maine  news.  I  will  see  him  to-mor 
row,  and  on  the  faith  of  his  having  something  interesting  to 
communicate,  I  will  not  finish  my  letter  till  then. 

I  trust  you  find  good  cigars  in  Ohio.  The  Lord  knows  how 
I  should  get  through  with  the  day  without  my  two.  To  speak 
the  truth,  chum,  this  is  a  curious  world  that  we  live  in.  We  are 
perpetually  either  lamenting  the  shortness  of  life,  or  devising 
measures  to  kill  time.  Would  that  you  could  help  me  puff 
away  the  blues.  It  was  really  good  to  see  Cleaveland  with  a 
cigar  in  his  mouth,  in  my  chimney  corner.  As  the  blue  cloud 
settled  over  our  heads,  I  almost  fancied  I  could  trace  in  it  the 
phantoms  of  old  college  friends,  armed  with  similar  mouth-piece. 

Moulton  has  told  me  that  Bowdoin  C ,  has  become  very 

witty,  and  is  the  greatest  wag  in  college.  He  takes  a  high  rank 
in  his  class.  Moses  will  turn  his  brilliant  talents  to  the  study  of 
medicine.  Moulton  has  entered  Andover  Institution.  Abbot 
had  the  first  part. 

Peabody*  delivered  a  splendid  poem ;  Dorr,  the  Salutatory, 

*  Rev.  Ephraim  Peabody,  D.D.,  of  Boston. 


80  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PREXTISS. 

We  have  had  some  pretty  severe  frosts  here,  which  did  not,  I 
suppose,  reach  to  your  latitude,  and  for  a  fortnight  past  I  have 
enjoyed  the  comforts  of  a  blazing  fire.  I  assure  you  that  I  often, 
about  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening,  resting  my  feet  over  the  fire 
place,  and  my  head  on  the  back  of  my  chair,  recall  the  memory 
of  the  last  winter  evening  we  spent  in  college ;  when,  unconscious 
of  the  blessings  we  enjoyed,  we  talked  of  pleasure  that  we 
were  to  taste  when  emancipated  from  college  walls.  "We  have 
both  of  us  found  perfect  happiness  as  far  off  as  before.  For 
my  own  part,  I  intend  to  make  up  my  mind  to  take  life  as  it  is, 
and  so  drink  down  the  bitter,  as  I  would  a  dose  of  medicine,  in 
one  swallow,  and  have  done  with  it,  and  let  every  drop  of  sweet 
dwell  long  on  the  tongue,  as  I  would  a  draught  of  good  Madeira. 
Hoping  you  have  the  same  mind,  and  that  you  will  find  your 
cup  but  little  diluted  with  the  bitter,  I  bid  you  good  night. 
Write  me  soon,  and  tell  me  all  about  your  situation  and  pros 
pects.  Everything  about  yourself  will  be  interesting. 

Yours, 

WM.  APPLETON. 


FEOM     THE     SAME     TO     THE     SAME. 

DKRRT,  February  6,  1828. 

DEAR  CHUM : 

I  received  your  letter  this  morning,  and,  I  assure 
you,  am  well  disposed  to  obey  your  injunctions  to  answer  it 
immediately.  I  had  begun  to  be  a  good  deal  troubled  lest  you 
should  have  met  with  some  misfortune,  or  I  had  met  with  that 
of  losing  your  remembrance  and  friendship.  I  had  heard  once 
that  you  had  settled  in  Kentucky,  but  from  your  saying  nothing 
of  a  temporary  residence  there,  suppose  I  was  misinformed.  In 
the  first  place,  chum,  I  sincerely  congratulate  you  on  your  good 
fortune,  for  though  not  exceedingly  lucrative,  your  situation 
must  be  in  every  other  respect  very  eligible.  But  you  want  to 
know  about  matters  and  things  in  this  region,  and  I  will  proceed 
sans  ceremonie,  as  Tutor  Abbot  would  say,  to  tell  you.  To  begin 


DEATH    OF    APTHORP.  81 

with  the  personage  of  the  most  importance  in  his  own  eyes,  1 
am  still  in  this  Academy,  receiving  for  my  labors  about  the  same 
compensation  as  you.  I  shall  continue  here  six  months  at  least 
At  the  end  of  that  time  I  may  remain  here,  or  resume  law,  or 
instruct  somewhere  else.  Every  day's  observation  serves  to 
convince  me  that  professional  men,  especially  lawyers,  in  this 
.quarter,  must  have  uncommon  talents  to  secure  even  a  compe 
tence.  Scarcely  any  of  our  young  lawyers  are  independent  of 
their  friends  for  the  first  years  of  their  practice.  I,  of  course, 
am  desirous  to  secure  this  independence,  and  if  the  chances  to  a 
person  of  common  capacity,  of  realizing  a  comfortable  and  tol 
erably  genteel  support,  are  in  favor  of  the  Western  States,  they 
possibly  may  be  my  final  destination.  You,  probably,  feel  some 
interest  in  the  fate  of  our  class.  I  will  give  you  all  the  informa 
tion  I  am  master  of.  You,  perhaps,  have  not  heard  of  Apthorp's 
death.  He  died  about  two  months  since,  of  a  very  rapid  con 
sumption.  He  had  been  engaged  as  private  tutor  near  Balti 
more,  and  returned  on  account  of  his  health,  and  died  at  home. 
I  have  understood  him  to  be  the  fifth  victim  to  tli-at  complaint, 
of  the  children  of  the  family,  and  that  one  of  his  sisters  is  thought 
now  in  a  decline.  You  and  I  shall  remember  him,  for  who 
more  conduced  to  the  enjoyment  of  our  college  life  than  he,  b} 
his  wit  and  humor? 

Abbot,  Southgate,  and  Trask  are  in  xYndover  Institution.  ] 
had  a  letter  from  Lord  a  few  days  since.  He  has  engaged  it? 
mercantile  pursuits ;  says  that  Farrar  is  studying  law  in  Phila 
delphia,  Paine  in  Portland,  Granger  and  Leland  in  Saco.  Cleave 
land  made  me  a  visit  of  a  day  a  few  months  since.  Is  no\? 
studying  law  in  New  York.  Our  friend  Jonas  is  teaching  school 
in  Amherst,  and  succeeds  uncommonly  well.  They  think  so 
highly  of  him,  that  they  say  they  mean  to  build  an  Academy, 
and  engage  his  services  permanently.  I  suppose  you  are  now 
in  the  very  head-quarters  of  Jacksonism,  but  as  you  as  well  aa 
I,  have  not  much  personal  interest  in  the  struggle,  I  trust 
you  have  not  become  very  warm  on  the  side  of  the  "  Hero." 
I  understand  that  Bowdoin  College  goes  on  very  quietly,  with 
reduced  numbers,  it  is  true,  but  improved  scholarship.  This 

4* 


82  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

Academy  will  send  two  or  three  very  fine  scholars  there  next 
Commencement.  I  see  by  your  letter  that  your  affection  for 
Spanish  cigars  remains  undiminished ;  knowing  that,  I  shall,  at 
least  twice  a  day  (after  dinner  and  supper),  call  to  mind  the 
pleasant  hours  we  have  spent  together.  We  then  railed  at  our 
lot — but,  though  were  we  to  live  that  life  again,  we  might  know 
how  to  enjoy  it  more,  arid,  I  at  least,  improve  it  better;  yet  it 
must  be  confessed  that  there  were  some  few  crumbs  of  comfort 
amidst  all  our  troubles.  I  have  felt  the  want  of  suitable  books  to 
read  very  much  since  leaving  B.  This  place  is  as  barren  of  them 
as  any  town  I  ever  knew.  The  newspapers,  among  them  the 
Farmer's  Cabinet,  which  you  will  recollect,  for  its  containing 
the  story  of  the  good  woman,  who  blessed  the  Lord  for  nothing, 
constitute  my  soul  resource  against  the  blues.  I  saw  Mac. 
some  months  since  in  Boston.  He  was  in  a  law  office,  and  had 
a  treatise  on  Real  Actions  in  his  hand,  by  chance,  I  suspect,  for 
his  table  was  covered  with  the  same  medley  of  newspapers,  maga 
zines,  novels,  and  song  books,  as  when  he  was  in  college ;  the 
drawer  as  he- showed  me,  was  filled  with  pieces  of  old  gloves, 
flints,  pistols,  gunlocks,  cakes  and  apples.  In  short,  everything 
about  him  was  the  same  as  when  he  was  in  college.  He  poetizes 

considerably,  I  believe.     T is  studying  Divinity  in  Hartford, 

Oonn.  If  you  continue  to  have  any  thoughts  of  acting  Cato's 
soliloquy  with  a  butcher  knife,  I  would  advise  you  to  act  Mac- 
beth's  first,  and  the  first  line,  "  Is  this  a  dagger,"  &c.,  will  cure 
you  of  any  design  of  making  your  quietus  with  so  vulgar  an 
implement,  compared  with  which  a  "  bare  bodkin  "  would  be 
genteel.  As  you  are  in  the  land  of  sporting  and  duels,  I  hope 
your  excellence  as  a  shot  will  be  of  service  to  you.  I  trust  you 
will  find  smaller  game  plenty,  however,  and  will  not  be  under 
the  necessity  of  firing  at  a  larger  mark,  with  the  uncomfortable 
reflection  that  you  yourself  are  at  the  same  time  a  target.  Now. 
chum,  you  see  that  I  have  answered  your  letter  the  day  on 
which  I  received  it,  and  that,  too,  with  a  closely  written  sheet 
of  foolscap.  As  I  have  thus  obeyed  ycur  commands,  I  have,  in 
my  turn,  a  right  to  command  you  too.  Sit  down  as  soon  as  you 
have  read  this,  (if  you  finish  reading  it),  and  tell  me  all  about 


ALFRED    MASON.  83 

yourself,  and  whatever  else  you  please,  in  an  epistle  as  long,  at 
least,  as  this ;  for  certainly  you  have  much  more  of  the  variety 
which  makes  letter-writing  easy  and  letters  interesting,  than  I 
enjoy  in  this  quiet,  sleepy  place. 

Ever  yours, 

APPLETON. 


FROM  THE  SAME  TO  THE  SAME. 

DERBY,  May  13,  1828. 

MY  DEAR  PKENTISS: 

If  I  may  judge  by  my  own  feelings  of  impatience 
for  receiving  your  letters,  you  will  be  glad  to  have  an  imme 
diate  answer  to  that  which  reached  me  this  afternoon. 

Your  answers  to  my  inquiries  only  served  to  confirm  me  in 
my  former  ideas  of  the  comparative  'advantages  and  disadvan 
tages  of  the  Western  States.  I  think  I  shall  conclude  to  tr}'  my 
fortune  among  the  Yankees,  and  if  I  don't  succeed,  it  will  theu 
be  time  enough  for  me  to  visit  the  land  of  wealth,  slaves,  fevers 
and  mosquitoes.  I  shall  remain  in  my  present  situation  at  least 
three  months  longer,  perhaps  another  year,  and  after  bidding 
farewell  to  Academy  walls,  mean  to  renew  my  acquaintance 
with  Blackstone  and  some  other  of  our  mutual  friends.  You 
will  want  to  hear  the  news  of  this  section  of  the  country.  I 
shall  be  rather  at  a  loss  to  supply  you,  for  my  correspondent 
Lord,  who  is  my  most  faithful  chronicler  on  subjects  of  common 
interest  to  us,  has  not  written  to  me  for  some  time,  and  probably 
Avill  not  till  I  entitle  myself  to  an  epistle,  by  answering  his  last. 
One,  to  me,  melancholy  circumstance,  you  have  not,  perhaps 
been  acquainted  with.  My  cousin,  Alfred  Mason,  died  in  New 
York  not  long  since,  of  a  fever  which  he  caught  in  attending  the 
patients  in  the  hospital.  I  understand  he  was  considered  the 
first  among  three  hundred  medical  students,  as  to  professional 
talents.  Several  obituary  notices  of  him  have  appeared.  Among 
others,  a  very  well  written  one,  by  George  Pierce,  in  the  Port* 
land  Advertiser. 


84  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

You  say  nothing  of  politics,  but  I  suppose  you  are  by  this  time 
a  strong  Jacksonian.  Our  political  papers  are  quarrelling  at  a 
great  rate.  I  make  it  a  point  of  believing  both  sides,  and  conse 
quently,  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  our  politicians  are  a 
race  of  as  mean,  unprincipled  scoundrels  as  ever  polluted  the 
earth  with  their  tread,  or  the  air  with  their  breath.  I  have 
fully  made  up  my  mind  not  to  become  a  candidate  for  the  Presi 
dency,  till  the  characters  of  the  political  men  are  purer,  or  the 
press  less  calumnious.  I  wish  you  to  communicate  these  my 
sentiments  to  the  Legislature  of  your  State  of  Mississippi. 

I  have  a  vacation  in  about  a  week,  and  although  I  have  only 
been  absent  about  ten  week*,  I  anticipate  a  visit  home  with  no 
email  pleasure.  The  consideration  of  so  great  a  separation  from 
my  friends  would  weigh  with  me  more  strongly  than  any 
other,  against  going  to  the  South.  My  attachment  to  my 
friends,  I  find,  rather  increases  as  I  grow  older.  Bowdoin  College 
goes  on  quietly,  with  a  small  number  of  students.  I  have  not 
heard  whether  the  Peucinian  Society  has  decayed  still  more, 
or  regained  its  former  standing.  Your  recollections  of  your 
college  life  appear  to  be  pleasing.  I  have  none  such,  except 

the  remembrance  of  our  friendship.     While  at  B ,  you  railed 

most  about  the  miseries  of  college  life.  I  then  tried  to  make 
myself  believe  that  I  enjoyed  it,  but  the  more  I  think  of  my 
situation  then,  the  more  convinced  am  I,  that  were  I  to  live 
my  college  life  over  again,  I  should  not  only  improve,  but 
enjoy  my  time  far  better.  I  believe  I  am  not  naturally  prone 
to  indulge  in  unpleasant  reminiscences,  but,  I  feel  every  day 
the  want  of  having  formed  habits  of  application  and  mental 
abstraction  while  my  studies  were  directed  by  others,  and  I 
had  nothing  else  to  occupy  my  mind.  But  a  truce  to  moral 
izing.  We  have  both  of  us  seen  letters  written  by  students  after 
finishing  their  college  course,  and  I  am  not  vain  enough  to 
suppose  my  own  croaking  more  interesting  than  that  of  others. 
I  wish  to  hear  from  you  oftener  than  our  practice  of  waiting  for 
an  answer  will  admit,  and  will  suggest  the  plan  of  writing  every 
other  month.  For  instance,  I  shall  write  again  on  the  first  of 
July,  and  if  you  are  willing,  should  like  to  have  you  pursue  the 


GOOD    ADVICE. 


86 


same  plan,  that  each  may  receive  letters  at  intervals  of  everj 
two  months. 

My  mode  of  life  here  is  not  unpleasant,  as  I  have  become 
acquainted  with  several  agreeable  families,  and  do  not  feel,  as 
much  as  I  did  at  first,  the  want  of  some  moro  agreeable  com 
panions  than  my  own  thoughts. 

The  last  time  I  heard  of  George  Pierce,  he  was  about  goin^ 
into  business  with  his  brother  Daniel — his  health  not  allowing 
him  to  pursue  his  law  studies.  I  think  it  must  be  rather 
unpleasant  to  him  to  be  obliged  to  give  up  all  his  prospects  of 
professional  and  literary  eminence,  though,  probably,  his  business 
will  not  deter  him  from  cultivating  his  literary  taste. 

Good  night;  beware  of  paying  homage  to  the  climate  by  a 

fever. 

Ever  yours, 

"W.  APPLETON. 


FEOM     THE     SAME     TO     THE     SAME. 

BERRY,  N.  H.,  July  80, 1828. 

MY  DEAR  CHUM: — 

I  must  begin  with  acknowledging  myself  very 
much  to  blame  for  not  writing  the  first  of  this  month,  as  I  said 
I  should  ;  I  have  had  engagements  sufficient  to  justify  a  want  of 
punctuality  in  a  common  correspondence,  but  I  acknowledge 
they  should  not  have  prevented  me  from  doing  my  part  in  the 
execution  of  a.  plan  which  I  first  suggested. 

I  am  very  sorry  that  you  have  made  up  your  mind  to  be 
unhappy,  and  am  also  a  little  surprised,  as  I  had  supposed  your 
situation  tolerably  pleasant  as  well  as  lucrative.  Would  not  you 
enjoy  yourself  better  if  you  went  into  society  more  ?  I,  of  course, 
know  nothing  of  the  state  of  things  there,  but  although  you  may 
not  find  those  to  whom  you  can  feel  warmly  attached,  yet  I 
hold  that  any  society  is  better  than  none ;  and  that,  even  if  a 
man  were  among  the  Hottentots,  it  were  better  for  him,  for  the 
time  being,  to  conform  himself,  in  some  degree,  to  their  habits, 


86  MEMOIR 


S.    S.    PRENTISS. 


and  try  to  feel  some  interest  in  objects  around  him  and  wi:hin 
his  reach,  than  to  suffer  himself  to  despond  because  he  does  not 
find  everything  to  his  mind.  But  in  so  large  a  place  as  Natchez, 
it  is  impossible  but  that  by  exertion  you  can  find  some  agreeable 
acquaintance.  There  are  two  gentlemen  from  this  State  who,  if 
report  speaks  true,  are  both  uncommonly  pleasant  men — Dr.  J. 
Bell,  and  Air.  Dinsmoor,  a  lawyer  from  a  town  adjoining  this. 
If  you  are  not  already  acquainted  with  them,  I  suppose  it  is  not 
very  difficult  for  Yankees  to  become  acquainted  with  each 
other  when  so  far  from  home.  At  any  rate,  chum,  if  you  can 
not  find  any  society  more  pleasant  than  solitude,  do  not  allow 
yourself  to  be  low-spirited ;  "  send  care  to  the  dogs,"  as  you  said, 
in  a  former  letter,  you  meant  to  do,  and  do  not  think  because 
you  have  not  realized  all  your  expectations  in  this  Southern 
excursion,  that  your  prospects  for  life  must  necessarily  be  blasted, 
and  that  all  chance  of  future  success  or  eminence  is  taken  away. 
We  neither  of  us  are  old  enough  to  exclaim  with  Solomon,  "  all 
e  vanity  ;"  and  I  cannot  but  believe  that  when  you  return  to 
.his  quarter,  which,  I  trust,  will  be  very  soon,  you  will  attain 
that  success  to  which  your  character  and  talents  entitle  you.  If 
your  health  is  not  injured,  I  think  you  will,  on  the  whole,  find 
few  reasons  to  regret  having  gone  on  your  tour,  for  you  are  not 
so  old  as  to  render  it  absolutely  necessary  that  you  should  enter 
on  professional  practice  immediately  ;  and  you  have  had  oppor 
tunities  of  seeing  parts  of  the  Union  which  otherwise,  very  pro 
bably,  you  would  never  have  seen.  I  trnst  that  you  feel  no  more 
inconvenience  from  the  heat  of  the  summer  than  the  debility 
which  you  mentioned.  You,  of  course,  feel  the  necessity  of  a  great 
deal  of  care,  and,  with  suitable  attention  to  diet  and  exposure,  I 
suppose  the  climate  may  be  prevented  from  seriously  injuring 
the  constitution.  I  trust  if  either  of  us  is  permitted,  at  some 
future  time,  to  drop  a  tear  over  the  other's  grave,  it  will  bo 
when  he  has  lain  down  to  rest  after  a  long,  happy,  and  useful 
life,  among  friends  who  reciprocated  his  affection. 

I  heard  from  Lord  but  a  day  or  two  since:  he  mentions 
having  heard  of  you  through  Mr.  Pierce  of  Gorham — he  is 
engaged  in  business  with  his  brother.  Both  Hilliards  are  in 
Mr.  P 's  office,  as  you  probably  know. 


BOWDOIN    NEWS.  81 

Farran  has  engaged  in  business  with  his  brother  in  Blojmfield. 
In  an  excursion  which  I  made  into  the  interior  of  Massachusetts 
and  Connecticut,  a  few  weeks  since,  I  saw  McLellan,  Eveleth, 
and  Bridge,  at  Northampton.  McLellan  has  applied  himself  a 
good  deal,  I  understood,  and  took  a  very  respectable  rank  in  the 
Law  School.  At  Hartford,  Conn.,  I  met  Baldwin,  who  hap 
pened  to  be  in  town ;  he  is  studying  divinity  at  New  Haven 
He  said  Brinsmade  was  keeping  school  at  a  town  in  the  western 
part  of  the  State.  David  Shepley  preached  in  Amherst  during 
my  last  vacation.  I  was  to-day  informed  that  Stowe  has  been 
appointed  Professor  at  Bowdoin  College,  and  has  accepted.  I 
do  not  know  what  department  he  will  take  charge  of.  I  still 
continue  in  the  business  of  school-keeping,  and  shall,  probably, 
another  year.  It  is  rather  a  gloomy  prospect  to  look  forward  to, 
but  I  shall  endeavor  to  submit  to  circumstances  with  as  good 
grace  as  possible. 

You  speak  of  doubting  whether  you  shall  pursue  your  legal 
studies.  I  trust  you  have  no  serious  thoughts  of  discontinuing 
them;  the  law  is  the  profession  for  yon,  if  any.  I  hope  you  will 
write  me,  in  your  next,  that  you  are  making  your  arrangements  to 
return  to  New  England,  to  finish  your  studies  and  enter  on  the 
practice.  I  cannot  believe  you  have  any  serious  thoughts  of  going 
to  the  countries  of  Spanish  America,  as  you  seem  to  have  no  fixed 
object  in  view.  In  New  England  a  competence  is  ensured  to 
but  a  moderate  share  of  application  and  abilities,  and  a  compe 
tence  in  New  England,  I  presume,  you  would  think  quite  as 
desirable  as  a  large  fortune  in  those  new  republics,  or  even  in  the 
region  where  you  now  are. 

Let  not  my  failure  break  up  the  plan  which  I  suggested  about 
our  letters.  I  will  write  again  within  two  months,  and  hope  to 
hear  again  from  you  before  that  time.  And  now,  chum,  as  my 
paper  is  growing  scanty,  I  have  only  time  again  to  recommend 
to  you  to  take  some  measures  for  the  ejection  of  the  blues  ;  live 
as  happily  as  you  can  while  at  Natchez,  and  come  back  to  New 
England  as  sooi  as  possible. 

Most  truly  your  friend, 

WM.  APPLBTON. 


88  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

B.     S.     PEENTISS     TO     HIS      MOTHER. 

NATCHEZ,  July  26, 1828. 
MY  DEAR  MOTHER  : — 

Since  I  wrote  you  last,  I  have,  rather  unexpectedly 
made  a  considerable  change  in  my  engagements  and  situation 
But  you  need  not  be  alarmed — my  move  has  been  but  a  short 
one,  and  the  change,  I  believe,  for  my  advantage.  I  have  left 
the  family  in  which  I  resided,  and  taken  ail  academy  about  eight 
miles  from  Natchez.  When  I  made  my  former  engagement,  I 
reserved  the  privilege  of  availing  myself  of  any  better  offer  I 
might  have.  I  had  the  offer  of  the  academy  about  three  weeks 
since,  and  immediately  accepted  it.  I  felt  a  good  deal  of  regret 
at  leaving  Mrs.  Shields — I  had  got  to  be  so  much  one  of  the 
family  that  it  seemed  almost  like  leaving  home  again.  I  taught 
with  Mrs.  Shields  between  six  and  seven  months.  My  salary 
for  that  time  has  enabled  me  to  pay  off  all  my  debts  and  the 
money  I  borrowed  from  Mr.  Wright.  I  have  fifteen  or  twenty 
dollars  left,  and  can  now  begin  square  again. 

How  long  I  shall  continue  here  I  do  not  know.  They  would 
like  to  engage  me  permanently,  but  I  have  only  engaged  for  a 
year,  and  am  doubtful  whether  I  shall  continue  longer — I  wish 
to  finish  my  profession  and  conclude  where  to  settle  as  soon  as 
possible. 

Week  before  last  I  made  a  trip  into  the  State  of  Lousiana  to 
St.  Frances ville,  about  eighty  miles  from  this  place,  partly  for 
the  sake  of  seeing  the  country,  and  partly  because  I  had  heard 
there  was  a  vacancy  in  a  college  near  there,  which  I  thought  I 
might,  possibly,  obtain.  I  had  been,  however,  misinformed, 
there  being  no  vacancy  in  the  college.  St.  Francesville  is  on 
the  Mississippi  River;  it  is  a  pretty  village,  and  situated  in  an 
extremely  fertile  country — but  is  one  of  the  most  unhealthy 
places  in  the  United  States.  I  went  on  horseback,  and  was 
gone  three  days — during  which  time  I  rode  two  hundred  miles; 
you  may  judge  from  this  that  my  health  is  very  good.  I  should 
hardly  have  been  able  to  take  such  a  ride  before  I  left  Maine. 
Their  saddle-horses  here,  however,  are  all  pacers,  which  makes 
it  much  less  fatiguing — I  would  not  willingly  undertake  to  ride 
our  old  Gray  two  hundred  miles  in  the  same  time. 


ANECDOTES    BY    ONE    OF    HIS   PUPILS.  89 

I  am  at  present  very  hearty ;  and,  as  some  of  the  -warmest 
weather  has  passed,  I  am  in  hopes  I  shall  get  through  the  sum 
mer  without  the  tax  which  strangers  are  usually  obliged  to  pay 
the  first  season. 

I  have  sent  William  a  Natchez  paper,  The  Ariel,  and  would 
like  to  have  him  send  me  The  Yankee,  published  in  Portland,  by 
John  Neal.  I  wish  you  would  write  to  me  as  often  as  once  in 
three  weeks.  You  know  not  what  pleasure  it  affords  me  to 
hear  from  home.  Give  my  love  to  all  the  children,  and  remem 
ber  me  to  my  friends  at  the  village,  as  well  as  elsewhere. 
Your  very  affectionate  son, 

S.  S.  PKENTISS. 


The  following  communication  from  one  of  his  pupils,  Joseph 
D.  Shields,  Esq.,  of  Natchez,  will  be  here  in  place  : — 

As  I  was  a  mere  child,  while  your  brother  resided  in  my 
mother's  family,  my  own  impressions  of  him  as  a  teacher,  are 
very  indistinct.  But  I  can  give  you  a  few  incidents,  illustrative 
of  his  character  at  that  time,  which  may  not  be  uninteresting  to 
you. 

Not  far  from  my  mother's  residence  was  a  log  school-house, 
where  the  gentry,  and  young  men  of  the  surrounding  neighbor 
hood,  formed  a  Debating  Society.  In  this  woodland  forum 
your  brother  gave  abundant  earnest  of  his  future  greatness  as 
an  orator.  His  speeches  were  especially  remarkable  for  their 
sprightliness,  wit,  and  withering  sarcasm.  On  one  occasion,  as 
an  actor  in  the  scene  told  me,  his  opponent  in  debate  was  a 
vehement  declaimer,  whose  thoughts,  when  at  white  heat,  would 
so  far  outrun  his  words,  that  he  generally  became  exceedingly 
confu^ed.  After  speaking  some  time  with  much  violence,  he 
suddenly  stopped  while  under  full  headway,  threw  up  his  hand, 
and  clasping  the  back  of  his  cranium,  exclaimed :  "Mr.  Presi 
dent,  I've  got  the  idea,  sir,  but  I  can't  express  it."  "It  is  very 
well  the  gentleman  has  informed  us,"  quietly  retorted  Prentiss, 
u  or  we  never  should  have  suspected  it." 


90  MEMOIR   OF   S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

The  old  school-house  has  disappeared,  and  its  last  vestige  been 
destroyed  by  the  plough-share. 

While  teaching,  he  was  very  temperate  in  his  habits.  Indeed, 
so  far  as  I  know,  his  habits  were  unexceptionable  while  he 
was  at  Natchez.  But  on  one  occasion,  he  joined  a  party  of 
young  men,  who  rode  into  the  city  to  dine.  As  usual,  the  juice 
of  the  grape  mingled  with  the  flow  of  soul,  and,  before  the  social, 
after-dinner  converse  was  over,  they  all  got  somewhat  merry. 
Mounting  their  horses,  at  rather  a  late  hour,  and  having  twelve 
miles  to  ride,  they  determined  to  make  a  dash  of  it,  and  thus 
save  time.  Now,  it  so  happened  that  Prentiss  was  mounted  on 
a  horse  which  had  been  raised  for  the  turf,  but  not  having  ful 
filled  his  destiny,  had  been  degraded  to  a  saddle  nag.  He  retained, 
however,  all  the  fire  of  the  racing  breed.  Indeed  the  animal 
was  a  very  Gunpowder  of  Ichabod  memory,  and  had  passed 
from  his  former  owner  to  the  Brom  Bones  of  the  neighbor 
hood,  in  consequence  of  having  unceremoniously  immersed  him 
in  a  duck  pond. 

The  jolly  company  started  off  in  full  gallop,  but  had  not  tra 
velled  many  hundred  paces  before  Prentiss  and  Oscar  (that  was 
the  name  of  the  beast)  darted  on  ahead,  and  were  soon  lost  in 
the  distance.  The  rest  of  the  party  finding  pursuit  useless,  at 
length  cooled  down  into  a  quiet  pace,  convinced  that  Oscar  and  his 
rider  would,  after  a  while,  reappear.  But  as  mile  after  mile  lay 
behind  them,  and  it  was  getting  very  dark,  they  began  to  feel 
somewhat  uneasy,  when  of  a  sudden,  they  were  hailed  by  that 
unmistakable  voice,  with  its  peculiar  lisp — "Hallo,  Boyths! 
hallo!  I  say,  Oscar  has  spilled  me!"  They  approached  through 
the  darkness,  and  found  him  seated  on  a  bank  by  the  roadside. 
He  had  clung  to  his  dare-devil  steed  as  long  as  he  could,  and 
finally  with  great  reluctance,  *'  let  him  travel  on  alone."  With 
no  small  effort,  he  was  in  due  time  mounted  behind  one  of  his  com 
rade?,  and  the  gay  cavalcade  made  the  best  of  their  way  home, 
qaite  charmed  with  the  adventure.  It  were  well  had  he,  as 
second  endorser,  never  came  off  worse  in  after  life. 

He  was  always  eager  and  impulsive.  Soon  after  leaving  our 
roof,  he  heard  of  a  situation  in  Louisiana,  and  immediately  went 
down  to  apply  for  it — while  there,  it  al  at  once  occurred  to  him 


NORTHERN    AND    SOUTHERN    PBUITS.  91 

that  a  bosom  friend  was  to  make  his  debut  in  a  Fourth  of  July 
oration,  at  the  old  school-house.  He  had  seventy  or  eighty 
miles  to  travel,  in  order  to  be  there,  and  only  one  day  to  "  make 
the  point."  He  ordered  his  horse  at  daylight,  rode  hard  all  day, 
and  reached  Natchez  late  at  night.  Explaining  to  his  host  the 
necessity  of  his  being  at  the  celebration,  which  was  some  fifteen 
miles  distant,  he  gave  direction  to  be  called  up  very  early,  but 
when  he  awoke  the  next  morning,  he  perceived,  to  his  chagrin, 
that  the  sun  was  far  up  in  the  heavens.  Ordering  his  horse 
quickly  as  possible,  he  spurred,  or  rather  caned  him  to  the  top 
of  his  speed,  and  reached  the  rostrum  just  as  his  friend  got 
through  his  peroration. 


8.    S.    PRENTISS     TO     HIS     SISTER     ABBY. 

NATCHEZ,  September  24, 1828. 

MY  DEAR  SISTER: — 

I  received,  a  few  days  since,  your  letter  of  July ; 
and  shall  answer  it  with  a  great  deal  of  pleasure — especially  as 
it  is  the  first  one  I  have  received  from  any  of  you,  except  William 
and  mother.  I  am  glad  to  hear  that  mother  has  recovered  so 
much  from  her  illness,  and  that  all  the  rest  of  you  are  well.  I, 
too,  continue  to  enjoy  an  uncommon  degree  of  health,  and,  if 
possible,  am  more  hearty  even  than  when  I  left  home.  As  the 
sickly  season  has  now  pretty  much  elapsed,  I  have  little  fear  for 
the  present  year.  I  am  well  satisfied  with  my  new  situation, 
and  have  had  an  addition  of  two  scholars  since  I  wrote  last. 

I  suppose  apples  are  about  getting  ripe  with  you  now.  They 
do  not  thrive  well  here;  neither  do  cherries  or  plums;  but 
Reaches  and  melons  grow  in  abundance,  and  also  the  fig,  a  most 
delicious  fruit,  of  which  I  am  extremely  fond.  I  wish  I  could 
send  you  a  basket  of  them,  1  know  you  would  like  them.  Wild 
grapes  grow  in  profusion  in  the  woods,  and  some  of  them  are 
equal  to  our  best  plums.  There  are  man/  kinds  of  fruit  which 
we  have  not  in  the  North ;  but  still  I  think  those  of  the  North 
are  preferable. 

I  am  glad  you  are  so  pleasantly  situated  at  the  village,  and 


92  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

have  so  good  a  school  to  attend.  You  have  improved  very 
much  in  your  handwriting :  and  the  watch-paper  you  sent  me  is 

quite  a  pretty  one ;  I  shall  keep  it  a  long  time.     You  say  S 

talks  of  going  to  sea ;  he  had  better  try  some  otuer  business ;  gc 
to  a  trade,  or  into  a  store.  Encouragement  for  sailors  must  be 
very  poor,  since  the  restrictions  laid,  last  winter,  by  Congress, 
upon  commerce.  However,  if  he  wishes,  let  him  go  one  voj'age, 

and  he  will  soon  be  sick  of  a  sailor's  life.     G ,  I  suppose, 

does  not  begin  to  think  yet  what  he  shall  do ;  tell  him  to  study 

hard.     I  must  not  forget  A among  the  rest  of  you.     You 

must  write  me  again,  and  tell  me  all  that  is  going  on  in  the  vil 
lage.  You  will  hear  from  me  again  in  a  few  weeks ;  in  the 
meantime  my  kindest  love  to  you  all. 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

S.  S.  PEENTISS. 


TO     HIS     MOTHEE. 

NATCHEZ,  November  IS,  1828. 
MY  DEAE  MOTHEE: — 

I  have  been  in  daily  expectation,  for  a  fortnight, 
of  heaiing  from  you,  and  have  delayed  writing  some  days  on 
that  account.  My  wishes  were  gratified  yesterday,  by  receiving 
a  letter  from  you  and  sister  Abby — whom  I  thank  very  kindly 
for  writing  me  again.  I  need  not  assure  you  how  glad  I  am  to 
hear  that  you  are  recovering  from  your  illness :  the  news  of 
which  had  very  much  alarmed  me. 

My  school  is  going  on  well,  but  I  am  perfectly  disgusted  with 
the  business  of  teaching;  it  does  not  suit  either  my  temper  or 
disposition.  Nothing  would  tempt  me  to  make  a  profession  of* 
it.  I  shall,  next  fall,  either  return  to  Maine,  or  settle  here  as  & 
lawyer.  I  have  been  somewhat  doubtful  on  this  subject :  should  I 
settle  in  this  State,  I  have  no  doubt  I  could  make  a  fortune  with 
the  greatest  ease,  and  my  friends  here  urge  me  very  strongly  to  do 
it.  But  you  know  I  never  considered  wealth  as  the  most  impor 
tant  ingredient  of  happiness;  perhaps  I  look  upon  it  with  too  little 
regard.  In  every  other  respect  I  should  far  prefer  the  North  tf 


THINKS    OF    RETURNING    NORTH.  93 

the  South.  The  society  is  better,  the  country  is  more  beautiful, 
and,  besides,  you  have,  in  the  North,  no  slaves — a  strong  objec 
tion  to  the  South.  But  yourself  and  the  rest  of  my  relatives 
and  friends,  afford  a  still  more  powerful  inducement  for  me  to 
return.  All  these  considerations  have  determined  me  upon  set 
ting  my  face  towards  home  next  autumn.  You  will,  perhaps, 
think  I  had  much  better  have  staid  at  home  in  the  first  place ;  but  I 
arn  of  a  different  opinion,  and  were  I  at  home  now,  would  make 
the  same  trip  again.  I  shall  consider  the  two  years  that  will 
have  elapsed  when  I  return,  as  far  more  profitably  spent  than 
any  others  in  my  life.  I  intend  to  return  very  leisurely  through 
the  interior  of  the  Union,  visiting  whatever  is  curious  or  remark 
able,  so  that  when  I  get  home  I  shall  have  made  a  pretty  good 
tour  of  the  United  States.  You  must  write  me  immediately,  and 
tell  me  what  you  think  of  all  these  plans. 

I  suppose  your  Thanksgiving  will  come  on  presently — if  I 
were  within  a  couple  of  hundred  miles  I  would  be  with  you. 
Next  year  you  may  have  a  few  pies  extra,  for  you  know  I  am  a 
tough  hand  among  pumpkin  pies,  and  it  would  be  no  wonder  if 
I  should  pop  in  upon  you  about  that  time.  It  is  growing  late — 
Good  night,  and  my  love  to  you  all. 

Your  affectionate  son, 

S.  S.  PRENTISS. 


TO     HIS     BEOTHEE     WILLIAM. 

NATCHEZ,  February  4, 1829. 
DEAE  BROTHER  : — 

You  think,  perhaps,  that  I  have  forgotten  you,  by 
my  delaying  to  write  so  long  beyond  my  usual  time,  but  you 
will  excuse  my  apparent  neglect  when  I  inform  you  of  the  rea- 
eon.  In  my  last  letters,  you  will  recollect,  I  had  come  to  tho 
determination  to  return,  next  autumn,  to  New  England.  Upon 
more  mature  consideration,  however,  I  am  convinced  that  I 
should  act  very  much  against  my  interest ;  and,  though  I  had 
fondly  cherished  the  idea  that,  in  the  course  of  a  year,  I  should 


94  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

revisit  the  spot  which  will  always  be  to  me  dearer  than  any 
other,  yet  I  think  you  will  agree  with  rne  that  it  is  my  duty  to 
remain  here.  Since  I  wrote  last,  I  have  been  making  more  par 
ticular  inquiries  than  I  had  before  done,  with  respect  to  my 
prospects,  should  I  continue  here  a  few  years ;  and  I  find  them 
far  superior  to  anything  the  North  can  hold  out.  By  studying 
this  winter,  I  can  be  admitted  to  practice  next  July — whereas, 
in  Maine,  I  should  be  obliged  to  study  more  than  a  year.  I 
have,  accordingly,  given  up  my  school,  and  am  in  a  law-office  in 
the  city.  The  gentleman  with  whom  I  am  studying,  is  a  Mr. 
Walker — the  first  lawyer  in  the  place;  he  has  promised  me 
every  assistance  in  getting  a  start.  I  have  money  enough  to 
support  me,  with  prudence,  till  I  get  into  pracrice — and  I  have 
no  tear  of  success  after  the  first  year.  I  have  been  several 
weeks  in  doubt  on  this  subject;  and  the  reason  I  have  delayed 
writing  was,  that  I  might  inform  you,  with  certainty,  of  the 
result.  Be  assured  that  my  feelings  towards  home  have  under 
gone  no  alteration,  and  my  determination  is  as  strong  as  ever  to 
come  back  to  Maine.  Should  I  collect  a  little  wealth,  I  know 
nothing  in  the  world  that  would  afford  me  such  pleasure  as  to 
return  and  share  it  with  my  friends. 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

S.  S.  P. 


TO     HIS     BROTHER     WILLIAM. 

NATCHEZ,  April  9, 1829. 

DEAR  BROTHER: — 

I  have  been  from  town  for  the  last  month,  which 
is  the  reason  I  did  not  receive  your  letter  until  yesterday,  and 
is  also  my  excuse  for  not  writing  sooner.  As  I  have  nothing 
else  worth  relating,  I  will  give  you  some  description  of  the  trip 
I  have  been  making.  One  of  the  young  Shieldses  purchased  a 
nilgai*  plantation  in  Louisiana,  about  thirty  or  forty  miles  south 
west  of  New  Orleans, — upon  a  bayou,  or  stream,  called  De 
Arbonne — and,  going  down  a  month  since  to  settle  it,  persuaded 


A    FRENCH    SETTLEMENT    IN    LOUISIANA.  95 

me  to  accompany  him.  We  started  from  this  place  in  a  flat- 
boat,  and  proceeded  down  the  Mississippi  to  the  bayou  La  Fourche, 
which  took  us  about  six  days.  We  entered  the  bayou  at  a  small 
town  called  Donaldsonville,  and  proceeded  down  some  sixty 
miles  to  another  village,  called  Thibodeauxville — where  we 
landed,  took  horses,  and  rode  twenty-five  miles  to  Shields's 
place.  This  part  of  the  State  has  just  begun  to  be  settled  by 
the  Americans.  It  had  been  considered  of  little  account  till 
within  a  few  years;  when,  upon  examination,  it  was  found  to 
contain  the  best  sugar  lands  in  the  United  States,  and  perhaps 
in  the  world.  It  has,  however,  been  settled  for  some  time,  by 
the  French — and  even  at  present,  they  form  at  least  nine-tenths 
of  the  population.  They  are  the  poorest,  most  ignorant,  set  of 
beings  you  ever  saw— without  the  least  enterprise  or  industry. 
They  raise  only  a  little  corn  and  a  few  sweet  potatoes — merely 
sufficient  to  support  life ;  yet  they  seem  perfectly  contented  and 
happy,  and  have  balls  almost  every  day — I  attended  one,  and 
was  invited  to  several  others. 

The  lands  here  lie  in  a  very  curious  manner.  There  are  a 
great  number  of  creeks,  or  bayous,  as  they  are  called,  running  tp 
from  the  ocean,  parallel  to  each  other.  Upon  each  of  these  is  a 
strip  of  high  land,  from  one  to  ten  acres  in  depth,  on  either  side, 
ufter  which  it  falls  into  a  swamp,  and  so  continues  till  you  come 
to  another  bayou ;  thus,  between  every  two  bayous  there  is  an 
extensive  swamp.  I  stayed  with  Shields  four  or  five  days,  and 
then  returned  to  the  La  Fourche,  where  I  took  a  steamboat  to 
New  Orleans.  I  stayed  in  New  Orleans  three  or  four  days,  and 
never  was  so  heartily  tired  of  a  place  in  my  life.  I  saw  nothing 
worthy  of  observation,  except  the  immense  quantity  of  business, 
and  that  was  truly  astonishing.  I  tried  to  find  out  if  there  were 
any  vessels  from  Portland,  but  could  hear  of  none.  Taking  a 
steamboat  at  New  Orleans,  I  arrived,  yesterday  at  Natchez,  well 
pleased  with  my  trip. 

Month  after  next  I  shall  apply  for  admission,  and  commence 
the  practice  of  law.  My  sincerest  love  to  mother  and  to  all  the 

children. 

Believe  me  your  affectionate  brother, 

S.  S.  P. 


96  MEMOIR    OF    S,    S.    PRENTISS. 

Mr.  Shields  thus  refers  to  this  trip  : — 

Another  instance  of  his  impulsiveness  occurs  to  me.  The  samf 
friend,  whose  Fourth  of  July  oration  he  made  such  effort  tx 
hear,  moved  about  this  time  from  the  homestead.  Taking  his 
Btock  and  other  movables  to  Natchez,  he  shipped  them  on  a 

flat-boat.  There  are  two  landings  at  .NT ,  and  after  loading  at 

the  upper,  he  cast  off  and  drifted  to  the  lower.  Prentiss  was 
on  the  boat  to  take  his  leave,  and  accompanied  her  this  short 
distance.  Just  as  they  were  again  casting  off,  and  in  the  act  of 
bidding  adieu,  his  friend  suggested. 

"Prentiss,  suppose  you  go  down  with  us  and  enjoy  the  varie 
ties?" 

"But,  my  dear  sir,  I've  no  clothes." 

*'  Oh,  never  mind  that,  we'll  supply  you." 

After  a  little  persuasion  he  consented,  and  left  for  an  indefinite 
trip  without  money  and  without  clothes.  I  rather  fancy  that 
what  with  cattle,  sheep,  hogs,  horses,  and  fowl,  to  say  nothing  of 
dogs  or  cats,  he  had  about  the  roughest  fare  on  that  "  broad- 
horn"  that  he  ever  endured.  Still  it  was  probably  the  most 
delightful  trip  he  ever  took.  His  friendship  with  the  captain  and 
chief  mate,  gave  him  the  run  of  the  kitchen,  while  every  incon 
venience  was  the  subject  of  jest  and  merriment.  He  was  the 
light  and  soul  of  the  party. 

I  have  recently  heard  an  amusing  anecdote  of  this  expedition, 
which  is  as  follows  : — 

You  are  aware  that  our  Father  of  Waters  is  a  most  head 
strong  and  gyratory  stream.  Instead  of  flowing  on  smoothly, 
like  other  rivers,  it  rolls  and  tumbles  in  all  directions ;  while  its 
eddies  are  a  terror  to  the  small  craft,  that  depend  for  progress 
upon  a  regular  current.  If  caught,  they  sometimes  revolve  for 
days  in  an  orbit  of  a  few  hundred  yards.  It  unluckily  happened 
that  the  broad-horn  aforesaid,  became  involved  in  one  of 
these  eddies.  Hound  and  round  it  circled,  hour  after  hour,  in 
spite  of  the  efforts  of  an  able-bodied  crew,  to  extricate  it  trom 
the  snare.  Of  course  all  hands  were  ordered  by  the  captain,  who 
v/as  a  per-  on  of  indomitable  energy,  to  man  the  oars,  and  when 


NERVING    HIMSELF    FOR   AN    EMERGENCY.  97 

tbe  boat  veered  to  the  edge,  to  give  "  a  long  push,  a  strong  push, 
and  a  push  all  together."  But  in  the  midst  of  all  their  activity, 
Prentiss  kept  his  seat,  and  jeered  the  crew.  In  vain  they  begged 
him  to  come  to  the  rescue;  no  persuasion  could  induce  him  to 
lend  a  helping  hand.  Every  volley  of  jocular  abuse  from  the 
captain,  was  replied  to  by  a  volley  of  sharp  raillery  from  his 
imperturbable  passenger.  To  all  entreaties  he  returned  a 
characteristic  answer.  "Come,  come,  Prentiss,  for  heaven's  sake, 
do  now  help  us  just  a  little,  will  you?" 

li  Can't  do  it,  Biiyths,  I'm  saving  myself  for  an  emergency!" 
After  a  hard  struggle,  the  rim  of  the  miniature  maelstrom  was 
weathered,  and  the  boat  floated  out  into  the  current. 

A  day  or  two  after  this  incident,  there  occurred  a  storm  so 
violent,  that  the  party  tied  up  to  the  bank.  The  weather  was 
intensely  cold  for  our  southern  climate,  and  they  huddled  around 
the  tire  on  board.  In  the  midst  of  the  hilarity  aroused  by  the 
novelty  of  their  situation,  and  the  amusing  incidents  of  their 
voyage,  the  crew  were  startled  by  the  cry  of  fire  !  fire!  The 
boat's  afire!  Every  man  sprang  to  his  feet  and  rushed  for  the 
water  buckets,  except  Prentiss.  He  scrambled  to  the  side  of  the 
vessel,  tumbled  overboard,  seized  his  hat  in  lieu  of  a  bucket, 
and  began  to  pitch  the  water  into  the  flames,  nearly  extinguish 
ing  them  before  the  rest  of  the  parly  reached  the  scene  of  action. 
He  was  warmly  congratulated  on  his  quickness  and  presence  of 
mind.  Pufling  and  blowing  from  his  sudden  exertions,  draggled 
with  wet,  and  with  a  dripping,  starchless  hat,  he  replied  to  the 
thanks  that  were  showered  upon  him,  with  his  inimitable  arch 
ness,  u  There  !  boyths,  didn't  I  tell  you  I  was  reserving  myself 
for  an  emergency!" 

Many  are  the  stories  of  his  wit  and  humor,  after  the  party 
reached  their  destination.  The  country  at  that  time  was  a 
wilderness,  skirted  along  the  margin  of  the  bayou,  by  settle 
ments  of  Canadian  French,  and  yet  Prentiss's  friend,  as  is  usual 
with  emigrants  to  a  new  home,  was  infatuated  with  the  region. 
II  e  had  described  it  as  a  second  Eldorado,  blending  the  glory  of 
the  tropic  with  the  mildness  of  the  temperate  zone.  It  yielded 
the  sweet  cane  and  the  orange,  and  abounded  in  all  manner  of 

5 


98  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

tropical  fruits.  Such  was  the  picture  of  the  country.  But  when 
they  arrived  at  the  Golden  Valley,  things  did  not  look  so  invit 
ing  by  a  great  deal.  Big  timber,  mud  cottages,  lagoons,  Spanish 
moss,  the  concert  of  alligators,  frogs  and  musquitoes — these  and 
congenial  phenomena,  afforded  Prentise  an  inexhaustible  theme 
for  raillery,  and  he  improved  it  without  mercy.  Yet  his  satire 
was  so  good-humored,  as  well  as  keen,  that  it  gave  infinite 
amusement  to  his  companions. 

"  My  dear  sir,"  he  exclaimed  to  his  friend,  "  you've  moved  to 
a  country  that's  afloat.  It  ought  to  be  sawed  off  with  a  whip- 
saw,  and  pulled  out  to  sea.  It  abounds  in  all  manner  of  tropical 
fruits,  indeed  !  I  see  an  abundance  of  blackberries" 

His  friend  was  one  day  praising  the  morals  of  the  community, 
and  boasted  they  did  not  require  a  jail;  there  was  none  in  the 
country.  "  Perhaps  so,  but  then  this  very  fact  may  prove  that 
the  rascals  are  in  the  majority,  and  won't  build  one." 

I  give  you  the  above,  at  second-hand.  Of  the  numberless  bright 
and  witty  sayings,  that  sparkled  from  his  lips,  but  few  are  pre 
served.  They  were  jewels  cast  upon  the  waters  of  oblivion,  and 
have  sunk  to  the  bottom — you  may  recover  one  here  and  there, 
from  the  memory  of  a  friend,  or  the  tradition  of  an  observer, 
like  myself,  but  not  enough,  I  fear,  to  give  any  adequate  idea  of 
the  richness  of  the  mine  from  whence  they  emanated. 


8.    S.    PRENTISS    TO     HIS     SISTER     ABBY. 

NATCHEZ,  May  81, 1829. 

MY  DEAR  SISTER:  — 

I  have  sat  down  this  Sunday  morning,  while  you 
are  all  preparing,  I  suppose,  for  church,  and  intend  to  give  you 
a  long  letter.  I  have  been  studying  pretty  hard  of  late,  prepar 
ing  for  examination.  Candidates  for  admission  are  examined 
at  the  Supreme  Court,  which  sits  next  week  at  Monticello — a 
town  about  eighty  miles  from  Natchez,  in  the  interior  of  the 
State.  I  shall  go  out  on  horseback  a  week  from  next  Wednes- 


A   TALK     ABOUT    HOME.  99 

day;  so  that,  I  presume,  by  the  time  you  read  this  letter  I  shall 
have  a  lawful  right  to  the  title  of  "  Esquire."  I  shall  leave 
Natchez  immediately  after,  and  settle,  probably,  at  Port  Gibson 
— a  flourishing  village  some  forty  miles  above  this  place.  It  is 
ii  very  pleasant  town,  and  not  visited  by  the  yellow  fever.  The 
winter  and  spring  have  been  uncommonly  cold  in  this  country, 
till  within  a  few  days,  but  now  the  weather  is  excessively  warm. 
I  have  no  news  to  tell  you:  my  health  continues  good,  and  my 
spirits  are  also  pretty  good.  But  now  let  us  talk  a  little  about 
home — which  .is  a  much  more  interesting  subject  to  me  than 
any  other.  How  do  you  all  do?  And  how  do  all  the  good 
people  at  the  village?  Though  it  has  been  almost  two  years 
since  I  left  you,  yet  it  seems  but  yesterday.  Everything  is  fresh 
in  my  recollection;  I  know  how  all  the  houses  and  yards  and 
trees  stand  ;  and  if  I  should  return  to-morrow,  I  could  tell  in  a 
moment  every  alteration  that  had  taken  place,  even  to  the 
nailing-on  of  a  shingle.  Two  years  seem  very  long  in  looking  for 
ward,  but  are  as  a  moment  when  recalled  from  the  past.  I  am 
afraid,  however,  by  the  time  I  return,  some  years  hence,  things 
will  be  greatly  changed.  My  old  acquaintances  will  have  grown 
up,  and  left  the  country.  The  girls  I  u-ed  to  play  and  romp 

with,  will  all  be  married  and  hardly  recollect  me ;  W will 

have  taken  to  himself  a  wife  ;  S will  be  a  stout,  careless 

sailor,  with   a   short  jacket  on ;  G ,  a  shrewd,  calculating, 

good-looking,  young  fellow  ;  you,  my  dear,  will  be  a  tall,  hand 
some,  grave,  young  lady ;  A ,  a  roguish,  laughing,  giddy- 
headed  girl;  as  for  mother,  I  shall  know  her  immediately — she 
will  always  look  the  same  to  me.  You  do  not  write  half  often 
enough  from  home  :  I  should  like  to  have  a  letter  every  fort 
night — and  if  you  would  take  turn^,  you  might  write  as  often  as 
that  without  any  trouble.  You  are  not  half  particular  enough 
when  you  write — you  ought  to  tell  me  every  little  thing  that 
happens  in  the  family.  And  now,  my  dear  si-ter,  I  have  written 
you  a  long  letter,  and  I  am  sorry  it  is  done,  for  it  is  a  great  plea 
sure  to  write  home.  My  love  to  you  all. 

Your  very  affectionate  brother, 

S.  S.  PEENTISB. 


100  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

In  a -letter  to  his  elder  brother,  dated  June  18,  he  writes  : 

I  found  no  difficulty  in  passing  the  examination  and  obtaining 
the  license.  Yesterday  I  returned  to  town.  Monticello  is  one 
hundred  miles  east  of  this,  upon  Pearl  .River.  I  am  now  a  law 
yer,  but  how  I  shall  succeed  is  a  doubtful  question.  The  pros 
pect,  I  confess,  is  rather  dull,  even  here— the  profession  being 
very  much  crowded.  However,  if  I  can  make  out  to  get  a  start, 
I  have  no  doubt  I  shall  ultimately  succeed. 

With  respect  to  your  idea  of  emigrating  to  this  country,  I 
hardly  know  what  to  say.  There  are  few  sorts  of  business 
which  a,  young  man  can  go  into,  unless  he  has  capital.  He  will 
have  to  obtain  a  clerkship,  or  a  situation  as  a  schoolmaster.  It 
is  extremely  difficult  to  obtain  the  more  lucrative  clerkships,  on 
account'  of  the  great  number  of  young  men  who  yearly  come 
do  wn  the  river,  from  the  Western  country,  in  search  of  business.  I 
would  have  you  to  consider  carefully  before  you  take  so  important 
a  step,  whether  you  cannot  make  a  good  living,  and  enjoy  as 
much  happiness  in  Maine  as  anywhere  else.  I  confess,  too,  I 
should  be  sorry  on  mother's  account,  as  well  as  the  children's, 
that  you  should  leave  home.  Still,  if  you  are  bent  on  emigrat 
ing,  I  would  not  discourage  you,  and  I  do  not  doubt  you  will 
succeed  in  the  end.  However,  if  I  was  myself  in  Maine,  with 
my  present  experience,  I  would  not  leave  it. 


TO     HIS     MOTHER. 

NATCHEZ,  Jwne  24,  1829. 

MY  Di*a.R  MOTHER: 

I  have  made  an  an-angement  of  considerable  impor 
tance,  for  the  ensuing  year— and,  as  I  think  it  is  a  very  good 
one,  I  have  sat  down  immediately  to  inform  you  of  it ;  for  I 
know  you  feel  more  interest  than  any  one  else  in  the  world  in  my 
welfare.  I  have  entered  into  a  partnership  with  Mr.  Huston*- 
a  lawyer  in  this  place,  of  high  standing  and  extensive  practice. 
I  am  to  have  a  sufficient  portion  of  the  profits  of  the  business  to 
rapport  me  handsomely,  and  defray  my  expenses  of  every  kind. 

*  Gen.  Felix  Huston. 


LETTERS.  101 

Next  year,  in  all  probability,  I  shall  be  able  to  continue  with 
him  on  much  more  favorable  terms.  But  the  great  advantage 
of  the  tiling  is,  that  I  shall  gain  more  knowledge  of  business  this 
year,  than  I  should  in  two  or  three  years,  had  I  started  J},y  myself. 
Mr.  Huston  lias  a  plantation  in  the  country;  SQJ  thaV  if 'there 
should  be  an  epidemic  this  summer,  I  shall  have  a  place  to -i-fctieajj 
to. 

I  have  seen  no  people  here  whom  I  ever  saw  before,  with  the 
exception  of  my  classmate,  Boyd.*  But  I  frequently  meet  witli 
Yankees,  who  are  much  more  numerous  here  than  I  had  sup 
posed  :  quite  often,  too,  I  see  individuals  from  Maine.  A  large 
portion  of  the  men  are  emigrants;  they  are  very  enterprising — 
but  associate  little  with  each  other,  except  in  the  way  of  busi 
ness.  Self  is  here  the  sole  object — each  one  being  entirely 
absorbed  in  his  own  views,  and  caring  little  or  nothing  for  his 
neighbor.  As  to  the  women  here — their  general  character  is, 
that  of  being  extremely  reserved  and  distant  in  their  manners, 
especially  to  strangers.  But  I  am  ashamed  to  say  that  I  know 
very  little  about  them.  You  inquire  about  churches — there  are 
in  this  town,  a  Presbyterian,  an  Episcopal,  a  Roman  Catholic,  a 
Baptist,  and  Methodist  church.  They  are  pretty  well  attended, 
and  the  sabbath  is  kept  here  very  near  as  strictly  as  in  Portland. 
I  attend  sometimes  the  Presbyterian,  and  sometimes  the  Episco 
pal,  service. 

With  regard  to  sending  brother  G to  West  Point,  I  am 

decidedly  in  favor  of  it.  It  will  afford  him  the  opportunity  of 
getting  a  good  education,  without  the  expenses  incident  to  a 
college ;  for,  if  I  recollect  right,  the  cadets  are  not  only  found, 
but  receive  twenty  or  thirty  dollars  per  month  pay.  It  is  not 
absolutely  necessary  that  a  young  man  should  go  into  the  army 

after  being  at  West  Point ;  but  still,  if  G goes  there  at  all, 

he  ought  to  make  up  his  mind  for  the  army  and  a  soldier's  life. 
That  is  the  purpose  for  which  the  Institution  was  founded,  and 
I  do  not  think  it  right  for  a  young  man  to  avail  himself  of  the 
advantages  of  it,  unless  he  intends  to  pursue  a  military  course. 

*  S.  S.  Boyd,  Esq.,  of  Natche*. 


102  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

My  dear  mother,  you  have  not  written  me  lately,  nor  have 
the  girls.  They  must  write  me  frequently,  and  tell  me  what 
they  are  studying,  the  news  of  the  village,  and  all  that  kind  of 
mat.tfriV  JQo  y^u  ;keep  a  cow  and  the  old  horse  ?  1  shall  expect 
a  letter  no\v  m  aafew  days,  as  I  have  not  received  one  for  three 
xjrofbttr  fteekji.  .'-.My  love  to  all  the  children. 

*   '  Tour  affectionate  son, 

S.  S.  PKENTISS. 

His  correspondence  during  the  next  year  affords  no  inci 
dents  worthy  of  note.  He  was  much  gratified,  in  the  course 
of  the  winter,  by  a  visit  from  his  elder  brother,  which  seems 
to  have  revived  his  desire  to  return  and  settle  in  Maine — 
for  his  letters  breathe  an  unusually  home-sick  feeling.  He 
occasionally  alludes  to  his  labors  and  speeches  in  court  ; 
never  saying  more  of  the  latter,  however,  than  that  he 
"  believed  they  did  pretty  well." 

There  are  many  persons  in  Mississippi,  who  retain  a 
vivid  recollection  of  his  personal  appearance  and  forensic 
efforts  at  this  period.  "  I  have  his  picture  in  my  parlor," 
writes  Judge  Wilkinson,  of  Yazoo  City,  after  his  death.  "  It 
is  like  him,  but  it  is  not  like  him  as  I  first  saw  him.  I  well 
remember  the  impression  he  produced  upon  me,  tweity 
years  ago,  when  he  entered  the  hotel  at  Natchez,  as  I  sat 
by  the  fire,  an  entire  stranger  to  every  one.  I  had  never 
heard  of  S.  S.  Prentiss,  and  saw  many  strangers  every  hour 
in  the  day.  I  did  not  hear  him  speak — and  he  was  gone  in 
a  moment — but  there  was  a  light  in  his  face  that  I  had 
never  seen  in  any  other,  arid  which  prompted  me  to  inquire 
who  he  was,  from  the  keeper  of  the  hotel.  '  A  young  lawyer 
just  called  to  the  Bar,'  said  he.  Little  did  I  dream  of  the 
relation  in  which  we  were  afterwards  to  stand  to  each  other  I" 

"  His  never-failing  readiness  and  self-possession  are  well 
exemplified  in  an  anecdote  I  have  often  heard,  of  his  first 
appearance  at  the  bar.  The  Judge  who  presided,  and  tho 


ANECDOTE    OF    HIS    FIRST    APPEARANCE    AT   THE    BAR.       103 

names  of  the  parties,  I  have  never  ascertained.  The  locality 
was  Brandon,  a  small  inland  town,  ten  miles  from  Jackson, 
in  the  very  backwoods  of  the  State  at  the  time  the  incident 
occurred.  He  was  a  slight-made,  beardless  boy,  extremely 
youthful  looking,  by  no  means  physically  imposing,  and  a 
stranger  to  all  at  the  court.  It  was  a  case  he  was  appear 
ing  in  for  Mr.  Huston  ;  and  when  it  was  called,  he  respon 
ded  to  it,  and  stated  the  nature  of  the  case,  and  that  it 
stood  on  demurrer  to  some  part  of  the  proceedings  which 
he  desired  to  argue.  The  Judge,  with  some  nonchalance, 
told  him  he  did  not  wish  to  hear  argument  on  the  subject, 
as  he  had  made  up  his  mind  adversely  to  the  side  Mr. 
Prentiss  appeared  for ;  upon  this,  Mr.  P.  modestly,  but 
firmly,  insisted  on  his  client's  constitutional  right  to  be 
heard,  by  himself  or  counsel,  before  his  cause  was  adjudged 
against  him.  The  right  was  recognized — and  he  was  heard, 
and  made  a  speech  that  astonished  both  court  and  bystand 
ers  :  and  the  Judge,  to  his  honor  be  it  spoken,  was  not 
only  convinced  of  the  error  of  his  previous  opinion,  but  had 
the  manliness  to  acknowledge  it.  Few  young  men,  in  a 
strange  place,  with  a  cause  prejudged  and  the  decision 
announced,  would  have  so  boldly  asserted  and  maintained 
their  client's  rights."* 

TO      HIS      MOTHEE. 

NATCHEZ,  July  11, 1880. 

MY  DEAR  MOTHER  : — 

Before  this  time,  I  suppose  William  has  got  home, 
and  I  almost  envy  him  the  pleasure  which  he  must  experience 
on  seeing  you  all  again  ;  even  after  his  short  absence.  You 
may  judge  from  his  pleasure,  how  great  mine  would  be  to  visit 
home,  from  which  I  have  been  absent  now  something  like  three 
years.  It  has  been  a  very  long  period  ;  though  it  takes  but  a 

*  Win.  C.  Smedes,  Esq. 


104  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

moment  to  carry  me  back  in  imagination  to  the  day  when  I  left 
you,  and  started  off  in  the  wagon,  with  my  large  trunk  and  still 
larger  expectations.  I  hope  before  three  years  have  again 
elapsed,  I  shall  be  with  you;  on  a  visit,  at  least.  I  sent  by 
William,  some  little  presents  to  the  children,  which,  though  na 
of  much  value,  I  know  they  will  receive  with  pleasure,  a> 
coming  from  their  brother.  To  George  I  sent  the  watch 
which  I  had  when  I  left  home.  To  Abby,  a  small  diamond 
finger  ring,  and  to  Anna  a  work-box,  with  a  number  of  little 
articles  in  ifc ;  of  which,  however,  she  will  know  the  use  bettei 
than  I. 

My  first  year  at  my  profession  has  just  closed,  during  which 
time  I  have  been  able  to  support  myself,  and  also,  to  pay  my 
debts,  so  I  am  now  just  about  square  with  the  world.  I  have 
to-day  arranged  with  my  partner,  the  terms  on  which  we  are 
to  continue  together.  He  offers  me  one-third  of  the  business, 
which  I  shall  accept. 

If  my  success  answers  my  expectations,  I  shall  feel  it  my 
duty  to  continue  here  some  years — though  my  inclinations 
strongly  urge  me  to  go  home,  and  settle  in  my  native  land. 

I  see  by  G.'s  letter,  that  he  feels  an  inclination  to  go  to  col 
lege.  If  he  continues  of  that  mind,  I  should  advise  letting  him 
go,  by  all  means.  It  will  take  him  one  or  two  years  to  prepare, 
and  by  that  time,  I  think,  I  shall  be  able  to  assist  him.  If  1  am, 
I  will  most  assuredly  do  it  with  the  greatest  pleasure,  for  I  hold 
a  good  education  to  be  worth  a  thousand  times  more  than  it 
costs.  Tell  him  to  think  seriously  on  the  subject,  and  to 
write  me  about  it. — My  love  to  all. 

Your  affectionate  son, 

S.  S.  PKENTISS. 


TO     HIS    YOUNGER    BEOTHEE. 

NATCHEZ,  Sept.  22,  1880. 

DEAE  GEOEGE: — 

I  received,  with  a  great  deal  of  pleasure,  your  let 
ter,  and  hasten  to  answer  it.     I  should  have  written  before  this, 


A   MOTHERLY    FRIENR.  105 

but  I  have  leen  absent  for  the  last  three  weeks,  on  a  trip  to 
the  Eastern  part  of  the  State.  I  have  been  out  to  Columbia, 
on  Pearl  River,  where  there  are  some  Springs,  to  which  the 
people  resort  in  the  warm  season,  for  recreation  and  pleasure.  I 
went  on  horseback,  and  more  for  the  sake  of  the  exercise  than 
anything  else  ;  I  did  not  enjoy  myself,  however,  as  much  as  [ 
expected ;  for  I  was  alone,  and  the  country  through  which  I 
passed  is  extremely  uninteresting.  The  Eastern  section  of  this 
Slate,  after  you  get  twenty  or  thirty  miles  from  the  Mississippi 
Kiver,  is  one  continued  Pine-Barren,  precisely  like  the  plains, 
upon  which  we  used  to  go  blueberrying.  and  indeed,  the  country 
continues  of  the  same  sort,  entirely  through  to  the  Atlantic 
Ocean.  You  may  judge,  then,  kow  dull  it  must  be,  travelling 
through  such  a  region.  I  found  but  few  people  at  the  Springs, 
and  stayed  there  only  a  week.  The  exercise,  however,  was  of 
very  great  advantage  to  me,  and  I  am  now  as  hearty  h«3  I  ever 
was  in  my  life. 

I  have  also  spent  a  good  deal  of  the  summer  out  at  Mr. 
Huston's,  or  rather  his  mother-in-law's,  plantation.  By  the 
by,  I  do  not  know  as  I  have  ever  mentioned  her  to  you. 
She  is  one  of  the  finest  old  ladies  in  the  world,  and  treats  me 
with  all  the  kindness  of  a  mother.  Tell  mother,  if  I  should 
ever  happen  to  be  sick,  I  should  receive  almost  as  much 
attention  and  kindness  as  I  possibly  could  at  home. 

I  am  glad  you  take  such  pleasure  in  your  studies,  and  in 
reading.  You  could  read  nothing  more  advantageous  to  you 
than  history.  It  would  be  well  also  to  read  some  biography — • 
more  especially,  the  lives  of  the  great  men  of  our  own  country 
— Washington,  Franklin,  &c.  It  will  raise  your  ambition,  and 
show  you  what  can  be  done  through  industry  and  exertion,  by 
those  whose  advantages  have  not  been  as  good  as  your  own. 

I  approve  of  your  studying  the  languages,  and  fitting  your 
self  for  college.  I  hope  that  by  the  time  you  are  fitted,  I 
shall  be  able  to  assist  you;  if  I  am,  I  shall  certainly  do  it 
with  pleasure. 

Tell  William,  that  if  he  comes  to  New  Orleans,  as  he  pro 
poses,  I  will  probably  come  dowr  and  see  him  next  winter. 

5* 


106  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

My  best  love  to  mother,  and  to  all  of  you,  especially  to  Samuel, 
whom  I  wish  to  write  me  immediately. 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

S.  S.  PBENTISS. 


TO     HIS     MO  THEE. 

NATCHEZ,  Nov.  10,  1880. 

DEAR  MOTHER: — 

I  intended  my  next  letter  for  Samuel ;  but  Abby 
informs  me,  that  he  expected  to  sail  for  Europe  in  two  or  three 
weeks,  so  that  he  is  probably  gone  by  this  time.  I  can  truly 
sympathize  with  your  feelings  upon  parting  again  with  William, 
and  I  can  assure  you,  that  your  regret  at  the  absence  of  your 
children  cannot  be  greater  than  what  is  felt  by  one  of  them, 
at  least,  on  being  so  far  separated  from  you  and  the  rest  of 
his  friends.  Indeed,  so  far  from  becoming  reconciled  to  a 
residence  in  the  South,  or  forgetful  of  my  native  land,  I 
become  every  day  more  tired  of  the  former,  and  look  back  with 
more  regret  to  the  latter.  Still  I  feel  bound  to  stay  here, 
though  I  am  sometimes  almost  sorry  that  my  prospects  of 
success  render  it  my  duty  to  do  so — and  I  do  not  think  I 
should  have  at  all  regretted  it,  had  my  ill-fortune  compelled 
me  to  return  to  Maine.  I  expect  daily  to  hear  from  William,  as 
he  must,  by  this  time,  Lave  arrived  in  New  Orleans.  I  shall 
take  some  leisure  week  during  the  winter,  and  go  down  and  visit 
hi  r/i.  It,  is  only  a  couple  of  days'  trip.  I  have  enjoyed  excel 
lent  health  this  summer,  much  better  than  I  did  last.  Natchez 
has  also  been  free  from  epidemic  this  season,  and  extremely 
healthy. 

I  have,  for  the  last  two  or  three  weeks,  been  riding  about 
the  circuit,  which  must  be  my  apology  for  not  writing  sooner. 
Tell  Abby,  I  lhank  her  very  kindly  for  her  letter;  she  must 
FOOTI  write  me  again,  so  must  Anna  and  George.  1  wish  G.  to 
write  me  a  full  account  of  his  studies-  how  far  he  has  advanced, 
nnd  what  occupies  him  at  present. 


HIS  VIEWS    OF   SLAVERY  AT  THIS  TIME.  107 

Give  my  respects  to  all  my  friends,  especially  to  Mr.  Pierce 
and  family.  My  love  to  yourself  and  the  children.  I  shall 
expect  a  letter  from  you  toon. 

Your  affectionate  son, 

S.  S.  PRENTISS. 

TO  HIS  YOUNGEST  BROTHER. 

NATCHEZ,  July  25, 1881. 
DEAR  BROTHER: — 

I  received  your  letter  of  May  last  more  than  a 
month  since,  but,  as  I  was  indebted  to  Abby  for  a  letter,  I 
wrote  her  first,  and  will  now  proceed  to  answer  yours. 

I  have  nothing  new  to  tell  you  concerning  myself.  My  health 
continues  good.  Business  is  at  present  very  dull — as,  indeed, 
it  always  is  at  this  season  of  the  year.  If  I  was  within  a  hun 
dred,  or  two  hundred  miles  of  home,  I  should  soon  mount  my 
horse,  and  be  with  you. 

You  ask  me  about  the  slaves  in  this  country — how  they  are 
treated,  &c.  That  slavery  is  a  great  evil,  there  can  be  no  doubt 
— and  it  is  an  unfortunate  circumstance  that  it,  was  ever  intro 
duced  into  this,  or  any  other  country.  At  present,  however,  it 
is  a  necessary  evil,  and  I  do  not  think  admits  of  a  remedy.  But 
the  situation  of  slaves — at  least  in  this  State — is  not  half  as  bad 
as  it  is  represented,  and  believed  to  be,  in  the  North.  They  are 
in  general,  as  far  as  my  observation  extends,  well  clothed,  well 
fed,  and  kindly  treated — and,  I  suspect,  fully  as  happy  as  their 
masters.  Indeed,  I  have  no  question,  that  their  situation  is 
much  preferable  to  that  of  the  free  negroes,  who  infest  the 
Northern  cities.  To  be  sure,  there  are,  occasionally,  men  who 
treat  their  slaves  cruelly  and  inhumanly — but  they  are  not  coun 
tenanced  by  society,  and  their  conduct  is  as  much  reprobated  as 
it  would  be  anywhere  else.  To  free  the  slaves,  and  let  them 
continue  in  the  United  States,  would  not,  in  my  opinion,  be  any 
advantage  to  them;  though  if  they  could  be  transported  to 
Africa  again,  it  would  be  better.  But  that  is  impossible  on 
account  of  their  numbers — and  even  if  they  were  al]  offered  the 


108  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

privilege  of  going  to  Africa,  I  do  not  believe  half  of  them  would 
accept  it.  The  sin  of  the  business  lies  at  the  doors  of  those  who 
first  introduced  slavery  into  the  country.  The  evil  now  is  too 
deep-rooted  to  be  eradicated. 

As  for  the  Indians,  about  whom  you  inquire,  I  think  they 
have  been  badly  treated  in  this  State,  and  still  worse  in  Georgia. 
Their  lands  have  been  taken  from  them  without  law  or  justice ; 
and  they  will,  most  of  them,  have  to  go  west  of  the  Mississippi. 
However,  this  is  not  a  new  thing,  but  has  taken  place  at  one 
time  and  another  in  almost  every  State  in  the  Union.  The 
fact  is,  "  Might  makes  Right,"  all  the  world  over. 

I  did  intend  to  write  you  something  about  your  studies,  but 
must  defer  it  to  another  time.     My  love  to  you  all. 
Your  affectionate  brother, 

S.  S.  PBENTISS. 

The  rest  of  his  correspondence,  in  1831,  contains  little 
that  wowld  interest  the  reader,  though  overflowing  with 
expressions  of  filial  and  fraternal  affection.  The  education 
of  his  sisters  and  his  youngest  brother,  began  now  more 
and  more  to  occupy  his  thoughts,  and  serve  as  a  stimulus 
to  his  exertions.  Almost  every  letter  shows  his  solicitude 
upon  the  subject.  On  the  question  of  his  ultimate  place 
of  settlement,  his  mind  still  wavered  ;  sometimes  he  "felt 
very  home-sick,  more  so  than  he  did  the  first  year  after 
leaving  Maine,  and  was  tempted  to  throw  up  his  business, 
and  come  back  there  to  live ;"  then,  in  the  event  of 
remaining  South,  he  was  almost  determined  to  remove  to 
New  Orleans ;  but,  towards  the  close  of  1831,  he  finally 
resolved  to  establish  himself  at  Vicksburg. 


TOASTING   PATH   TO    GREATNESS.  109 


CHAPTER  Y. 

Essay  on  Toasting— Removes  to  Vicksburg— Mr.  Chilton's  Reminiscences  of  Him— 
Letters  Home— Visits  Washington  City— Advice  to  a  College  Student— Perms  a 
Partnership  with  Mr.  Guion— Letters. 

MI.  22—24.      1832—1833. 

WHILE  at  Natchez  he  continued  to  cultivate,  with  much 
diligence,  his  literary  taste.  He  read  almost  every  new 
book  that  appeared ;  and  occasionally  occupied  a  leisure 
hour  by  writing  articles,  in  prose  or  verse,  for  the  local 
journals.  Some  of  his  poetical  effusions,  particularly  one 
entitled  The  Ice  Palace,  yet  live  in  the  recollection  of  his 
friends  in  the  Southwest ;  but  we  have  not  been  so  fortun 
ate  as  to  procure  any  of  them.  The  only  specimen  of  his 
prose  that  has  fallen  in  our  way,  is  a  sportive  essay  on 
Toasting,  from  which  the  following  passages  are  extracted: 

Perhaps  the  most  remarkable  property  of  Toasting,  is  its  won 
derful  facility  in  making  great  men.  It  was  the  ancient  opinion — 
though  one  which  has  been  long  exploded — that  to  be  great,  a 
man  must  have  performed  some  great,  virtuous,  or  noble  action, 
must  have  shown,  either  mentally  or  physically,  some  superiority 
over  his  fellow-beings.  Now,  thank  heaven,  nothing  of  this  sort 
is  required ;  for  the  whole  secret  of  greatness  is  comprised  in  the 
single  word  notoriety  -,  and  the  most  approved  method  of 
becoming  notorious  is  by  Toasting.  Does  a  man  wish  to  become 
notorious — that  is,  great : — he  gets  a  friend  to  propose  his  health 
at  some  public  dinner,  with  an  enumeration  of  all  the  good 
qualities  he  does  not  possess.  The  people,  filbd  almost  to 


HO  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

ing  with  the  fat  things  prepared  for  them,  overflowing  with 
charity  and  good  liquor,  drink  the  health  with  great  applause; 
which  is  elicited,  however,  in  most  cases,  not  by  the  person,  but 
by  the  flavor  of  the  wine.  Fired  by  such  manifest  signs  of 
popular  favor,  the  candidate  for  greatness  rises,  and  assures 
them,  very  truly,  that  they  are  pleased  to  honor  him  more  than 
he  deserves ;  that  modesty  would  induce  him  to  be  silent,  but 
his  heart  (  he  had  better  say  his  stomach)  is  too  full  for  restraint; 
that  no  sacrifice  would  be  too  great  for  their  kindness  towards 
kirn ;  that  he  would  go  even  to  Congress,  for  the  love  he  bears 
his  country;  he  assures  them  that  the  United  States  is  the 
greatest  nation  on  the  globe — his  own  State  the  first  in  the 
Onion—the  county  in  which  they  are  eating  the  best  in  the 
State— at  the  same  time  modestly  insinuating  that  he  is  himself 
the  greatest  man  in  the  county— and,  finally,  winds  up  by  pro 
posing  himself  a  candidate  for  the  next  election.  The  people 
are  astonished  to  find  they  have  had  so  great  a  man  amongst 
them,  without  ever  dreaming  of  it ;  and  they  send  him  to  Con 
gress  forthwith.  Tims  sure  and  easy  is  the  'Toasting  path  to 
greatness. 

The  god  Momus  found  fault  with  Jupiter  for  not  placing  a 
window  in  the  heart  of  man ;  which  would  have  enabled  one, 
merely  by  looking  in  at  it,  to  have  ascertained  a  person's 
character  as  well  at  first  sight,  as  after  a  dozen  years'  acquain 
tance.  Mankind  have  sanctioned  the  criticism  of  the  heathen 
deity;  as  is  manifested  by  the  great  pains  they  are  contin 
ually  taking  for  finding  out  the  real  sentiments  of  their  fellow- 
beings.  It  is  to  their  anxiety  on  this  subject,  that  we  owe  the 
various  theories  which  have,  from  time  to  time,  been  broached 
for  discovering  a  man's  character  by  outward  signs  or  appear 
ances.  Thus  Lavater  considered  the  features,  and  the  various 
and  complex  lines  upon  the  countenance,  as  the  true  handwriting 
of  Nature,  which  she  hath  affixed  as  a  label  upon  the  face- 
precisely  as  an  apothecary  marks  upon  a  vial  the  nature  of  its 
contents.  Within  a  few  years,  Craniology  has  been  made  to 
answer  the  purpose  of  the  window  of  Momus ;  and  the  human 
head,  like  the  United  States,  is  divided  off  into  a  number  of 
independent  bumps,  which  have,  however,  a  reciprocal  influence 


CRANIOLOGY   AND  A    REPUBLICAN    GOVERNMENT.  Ill 

upon  each  other.  The  character  of  each  of  these  bumps  is  as 
well  ascertained,  as  that  of  the  people  of  any  of  the  aforesaid 
State?,  and  the  character  of  the  individual  is  made  up  by  a  com 
pound  of  them  all — each  bump  being  taxed  for  this  purpose  just 
in  proportion  to  its  bigness.  Now,  although  it  is  a  digression,  I 
cannot  help  observing,  what  a  wonderful  argument  this  svstem 
affords  in  favor  of  a  republican  form  of  government,  showing 
that  Nature  herself  has  chosen  it  as  the  best,  in  her  arrangment 
of  the  human  mind.  Take  an  example:  Suppose  that,  like 
honest  Jack  Falstaif,  my  bump  of  discretion  exceeds  my  bump 
of  valor,  and  that  some  one  insults  me;  the  community  of 
courage,  residing  in  the  bump  of  valor,  is  immediately  enraged, 
and  rises  in  arms  to  punish  the  aggressor  :  but,  u  Stop,"  cry  the 
cautious,  though  more  numerous,  citizens  of  the  commonwealth 
of  discretion,  "  Most  haughty  Valor,  we  don't  choose  to  be 
dragged  into  this  contest — if  you  wish  to  fight,  you  must  fight  it 
out  alone  :  for  ourselves,  we  have  advised  with  counsel,  and 
intend  taking  the  law  of  the  fellow."  At  this  remonstrance, 
the  community  of  courage  lay  down  their  arms,  like  good 
citizens,  obedient  to  the  will  of  the  majority.  But  to  return. 
Though  I  have  great  belief  in  physiognomy,  and  though  I  doubt 
not  that  the  rapid  development  of  intellect  may  force  out  cor 
responding  protuberances  of  the  cranium,  just  as  we  see  moun 
tains  arise  on  the  face  of  the  globe  by  the  operation  of  internal 
fire:  yet  both  these  theories  are  so  liable  to  error,  the  exceptions 
to  the  general  rule  are  so  numerous,  that  I  have  been  led  to  try 
some  other  method  of  getting  out  a  man's  true  character.  I 
have  found  nothing  answer  this  purpose  as  well  as  his  toasts. 
At  such  times  caution  is  entirely  off  its  guard ;  the  Cerberus 
reason  is  quieted  with  a  sop.  The  sentiments,  finding  them 
selves  un watched,  fly  out  as  surely  as  birds  from  an  opened 
cage.  It  is  under  the  jovial  influence  of  good  liquor,  that  the 
words  of  scripture  are  peculiarly  verified:  out  of  the  abundance 
of  (he  heart  the  mouth  speaketh.  Take  a  few  examples,  by  way 
o!'  illustration  of  my  theory:  "The  star-spangled  banner,  oh, 
long  may  it  wave,"  &c.  Now,  who  doubts  for  a  moment  that 
the  author  of  this  is  a  young  poet?  I  don't  know  him,  but  I'll 
lay  anything  he  has  made  at  least  one  line  towards  the  comple- 


112  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

tion  of  an  epic.  "  The  ship  United  State?,  with  her  present 
commander  and  crew  ;  all  ready  for  sale  (sail),"  by  a  politica. 
punster ;  one  of  those  inveterate  perpetrators  who,  even  if  ho 
was  going  to  the  gallows,  would  ask  why  hangmen  are  like 
physicians,  merely  that  he  might  answer,  because  they  both  kill 
their  subjects  by  drops.  "The  Island  of  Cuba — justice  to  our 
selves  requires  that  we  should  take  immediate  possession 
thereof."  Now  I  will  venture  to  say,  that  this  man  has  no 
character  at  all ;  but  I  perceive  from  his  toast  that  he  is  an  old 
smoker,  and  he  wishes  us  to  appropriate  Cuba  to  ourselves, 
because  he  thinks  it  would  lessen  the  price  of  Spanish  cigars. 

His  four  years  in  Natchez  and  its  vicinity,  laid  the  founda 
tion  for  some  of  the  strongest  friendships  of  his  life.  No 
portion  of  the  Southwest  contained  at  this  time  a  social  cir 
cle  of  greater  intelligence,  or  refinement.  There  was,  to  be 
sure,  not  a  little  of  the  ignorant,  pretentious,  aristocracy  of 
mere  wealth  ;  and  this  was  to  him  a  never-failing  subject  of 
ridicule.  But  there  was  also  the  aristocracy  of  cultivated 
minds  and  manners  ;  the  offspring  of  leisure,  travel,  and 
liberal  pursuits.  One  might  go  far  before  finding  a  more 
generous,  hospitable,  and  high-toned  breeding  than  that 
which  distinguished  not  a  few  of  the  families,  then  resident 
in  and  about  Natchez.  He  often  revisited  this  lovely  spot, 
his  first  home  in  the  Southwest,  and  never  without  being 
greeted  by  the  warm  affections  and  admiration  of  a  host 
of  old  friends. 


TO     n  IS    M  OTH  E  E. 

NATCHEZ,  January  6, 1832, 
MY  DEAR  MOTHER: — 

You  will  be  surprised  to  hear  that  I  intend  to 
leave  this  place.  I  shall  remove  to  Yicksburg,  the  last  of  this 
month.  Vicksburg  is  about  a  hundred  miles  above  tins,  on 
the  Mississippi  River.  It  is  a  flourishing  town,  nearly  as  large 
as  Natchez,  and  much  superior  for  business.  Natchez  has 


HIS   ARRIVAL   AT   VICKSBURG.  113 

Deen  declining  in  business  for  many  years,  although  I  have 
done  as  well  as  I  could  have  expected ;  yet  I  do  not  think 
the  prospect  here  sufficiently  flattering,  to  induce  me  to  make  it 
any  longer  my  place  of  residence.  Vicksburg  is  situated  in  the 
midst  of  a  rich  and  flourishing  country,  and  is  increasing  rapidly 
in  wealth  and  population. 

I  have  deliberated  a  long  time  on  this  matter,  but  did  not 
wish  to  mention  it  in  my  letters,  till  I  had  fully  made  up  my 
mind.  I  have  had  serious  thoughts  of  returning  to  Maine,  but 
the  competition  there,  in  my  profession,  is  so  great,  and  the  pro 
spect  of  success  so  small,  that  I  am  deterred — at  least  for  the 
present — from  leaving  Mississippi. 

My  present  movement  shall  not,  if  I  can  help  it,  prevent  my 
coming  home  next  summer.  Still  I  wish  you  not  to  be  too 
sanguine. 

We  have,  for  the  last  two,  or  three  weeks,  experienced  some 
of  the  coldest  weather  ever  known  in  this  country.  1  think  I 
suffered  as  much  as  I  ever  did  in  the  North.  The  ground  was 
covered  with  snow  for  a  fortnight,  and  it  looked  quite  like  old 

times. 

Your  affectionate  son, 

S.  S.  PEENTISS. 

The  following  reminiscences  are  from  the  pen  of  John 
M.  Chilton,  Esq.  of  New  Orleans,  long  a  distinguished 
member  of  the  Vicksburg  Bar  : — 

"In  the  year  1831,  pending  a  Circuit  Court  at  Vicksburg, 
then  almost  a  frontier  town,  there  arrived  with  other  members 
of  the  bar,  from  Natchez,  a  limping  youth  in  plain  garb,  but  in 
whose  bearing  there  was  a  manly,  indeed,  almost  a  haughty 
mien  ;  in  whose  cheek  a  rich  glow,  telling  the  influence  of  more 
Northern  climes,  in  whose  eye  a  keen  but  meditative  expression, 
and  in  whose  voice  and  conversation  a  vivacity  and  originality 
that  attracted  every  one,  and  drew  around  him,  wherever  he 
appeared,  a  knot  of  listeners,  whose  curiosity  invariably  yielded, 
in  a  few  moments,  to  admiration  and  delight.  There  was  then 
a  buzz  of  inquiry,  succeeded  by  a  pleased  look  of  friendlj 


114  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

recognition,  and  a  closer  approach,  and  in  most  instances  an 
introduction,  to  the  object  of  this  general  attraction  so  soon  as 
it  was  told,  that  the  stranger  was  S.  S.  PEENTISS,  of  Natchez 
His  fame  had  preceded  him,  and  men  were  surprised  to  see  only 
beardless  youth  in  one  whose  speeches  and  learning,  and  wit, 
and  fine  social  qualities,  had  already  rendered  him  at  Natchez, 
*  the  observed  of  all  observers?  He  was  at  once  taken  by  the 
hand,  and  attracted  by  the  brilliant  rewards  then  promised  in 
our  courts  to  lawyers  of  genius  and  eloquence,  he  determined 
on  adopting  Vicksburg  as  his  home. 

His  first  appearance  at  the  Bar,  at  once  fixed  public  opinion 
in  his  favor.  The  case  was  one  involving  the  power  of  the  cor 
poration  to  cut  off  by  quarantine,  a  public  hotel  from  all  inter 
course  with  the  rest  of  the  town.  The  hotel  stood  alone  on  a 
square,  and  was  infested  with  the  small  pox.  The  Mayor  and 
Council  had  passed  an  ordinance  forbidding  all  persons  out  of  it 
from  going  to  it,  and  all  persons  in  it,  from  coming  out  of  it. 
Without  any  previous  notice  or  preparation,  except  the  exami 
nation  of  testimony,  ME.  PEENTISS  spoke  for  two  hours,  and  by  an 
argument  replete  with  metaphor,  satire,  and  logic,  he  gained  his 
cause  and  induced  an  immediate  repeal  of  the  obnoxious  ordinance. 

Some  time  after  this,  at  a  political  meeting,  he  was  called  on 
by  the  Anti-Jackson  men,  then  a  sad  minority — in  presence  of  a 
large  number  of  the  dominant  party,  to  address  the  people. 
Democracy  was  then  everywhere  prevalent,  and  the  word  of 
General  Jackson  considered  as  binding  as  the  Koran— his  will  a 
rule  of  action— his  name  too  sacred  to  be  uttered  without  a 
blessing.  Mr.  P.  boldly  "broke  ground"  against  Martin 
Van  Buren,  the  adviser  of  General  Jackson,  and  subsequently 
his  nominee  for  the  Presidency.  I  shall  never  forget  the  intense 
excitement  produced  by  his  speech  on  this  occasion.  It  was  to 
the  Anti-Jackson  men  as  inspiriting  and  effective  as  General 
Tailor's  order  at  Buena  Vista— "  a  little  more  grape,  Captain 
Bragg!"  He  described  General  Jackson's  influence  over  the 
multitude — his  nomination  of  Martin  Van  Buren,  whom  ha 
represented  as 

"  Albany,  with  feeble  hand  "  receiving, 
"Borrowed  t-tmckeon  of  command;" 


AN    ANTI-JACKSON    SPEECH.     '  115 

and  the  violation  of  our  Constitution  in  thus  virtually  transfer 
ring  the  appointing  and  elective  power  from  the  people  to  one 
man,  and  that  man  at  once  their  idol  and  despot.  He  then  pro 
phetically  depicted  the  effects  of  such  unbounded  executive 
influence  in  the  utter  prostration  of  the  coordinate  departments 
of  the  Government.  The  personal  difficulty  between  General 
Jackson  and  Mr.  Calhoun,  growing  out  of  the  refusal  of  the 
latter  to  associate  with  the  family  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  had 
just  occurred.  The  first  Cabinet  had  been  dispersed  to  yield  to 
a  l  unit.'  That  unit  was  Martin  Van  Buren !  In  allusion  to 
Mr.  Van  Buren's  survivor- skip,  (if  I  may  so  call  it,)  Mr. 
P,  exclaimed:  " While  the  stately  and  gallant  vessels,  which 
braved  the  battle  and  the  storm,  have  been  wholly  wrecked,  the 
cockle-boat  of  Martin  Van  Buren  has  risen,  cork-like,  securely 
above  the  waves,  and  floated  safely  into  the  port  of  Democratic 
favor." 

In  allusion  to  the  merit  then  claimed  for  Mr.  Van  Buren,  of 
having  settled,  while  minister  to  England,  the  question  of  Great 
Britain's  right  of  search,  he  exclaimed:  " I  thought  this 
question  had  been  settled  years  ago,  by  the  war  of  1812,  and 
that  even  the  American  sailor  boy,  seated  at  the  mast-head,  if 
asked  by  a  Briton  whether  such  right  existed,  would  point  to 
the  cannon's  mouth,  and  say  indignantly — '  Go,  take  your 
answer  thence!'  The  manner  of  this  exclamation  gave  to  it  a 
marvelous  force,  and  even  his  political  adversaries  forgot,  in  the 
nationality  of  the  sentiment,  the  bitterness  of  partisans,  and 
united  in  the  acclamations  of  applause,  which  it  produced." 


S.     S  .     PEENTISS     TO     HIS     MOTHEK. 

VICKSBURGH,  March  16,  1S82. 

MY  DEAR  MOTHER: — 

I'll  lay  anything  you  can't  guess  who  has  been  to 
see  me  since  I  wrote  you  last.  I  was  sitting  in  my  office  tho 
other  morning,  and  who  should  pop  in  but  S.  I  knew 
him  immediately — though  he  was  in  his  sailor's  dress,  arid  has 
grown  greatly  since  I  saw  him.  He  looks  well,  and  is  in  good 
health  and  spirits  too,  considering  he  had,  when  he  arrived  here. 


116  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

but  one  dollar  in  the  world.  He  does  not  seem  to  mind  it  at  all, 
and  says  it  is  not  the  first  time  he  has  been  without  both  clothes 
and  money.  It  was  well,  however,  h-3  found  me  at  home  ;  for 
this  is  a  bad  country  for  a  man  to  be  in  without  :noney.  For 
tunately  I  had  some,  which  I  divided  with  him  ;  i.nd  after  stay 
ing  with  me  three  days,  he  started  again,  last  night,  for  New 
Orleans.  He  appears  to  be  rather  sick  of  a  sailor's  life,  and 
will,  I  think,  quit  it. 

I  am  very  glad  to  hear  that  Abby  has  recovered  her  health, 
so  that  she  can  attend  school  again.  Tell  her  that  when  she 
gets  to  Portland,  she  must  become  a  regular  correspondent  of 
mine,  and  write  me  all  that  is  going  on  in  the  city ;  and  Anna 
can  take  up  the  home-department,  and  tell  me  what  occurs  of 
great  importance  in  the  busy  little  village  of  Gorham.  I  pledge 
myself  to  answer  all  their  letters  regularly. 

I  have  got  some  business  already,  and  think  it  will  increase. 
It  is  easy  to  make  money  in  this  country  ;  but  the  expenses  are 
so  enormous,  they  eat  up  one's  money  as  fast  as  it  accumulates. 

If  George  is  well  prepared  to  enter  the  Sophomore  Class  this 
fall,  let  him  do  so  ;  I  think  it  a  great  disadvantage  to  enter  two 
years  in  advance.  He  is,  however,  young,  and  unless  well  pre 
pared—not  only  in  his  Greek  and  Latin,  but  in  his  English 
studies— had  better  put  it  off  another  year.  I  am  confident  I 
entered  college  too  young ;  had  I  been  two  years  older,  I  should 
have  derived  double  the  advantage.  Tell  G.  to  write  me 
fully  his  own  views  and  wishes  on  the  subject.  I  wish  he 
would  take  two  or  three  dollars  out  of  the  enclosed,  and  send 
me  one  of  the  Portland  papers,  say  the  Advertiser,  or  any  Clay 
paper.  My  love  to  you  all. 

Your  affectionate  son, 

S.  S.  PRENTISS. 


TO     HIS     SISTER     ABBY. 

VICKSBURG,  September  17,  1832. 

MY  DEAR  SISTER: — 

I   almost  envied  brother  TVillmin   the   happiness 
which  he  must  have  felt  in  being  again  in  the  midst  of  you.    It 


AN    IMAGINARY    VISIT   HOME.  lit 

is  impossible  for  you  to  imagine  the  feelings  which  a  long  resi 
dence  among  strangers — people  for  whom  you  care  nothing,  and 
who  care  nothing  for  you — produces  in  one's  mind  towards 
home  and  the  scenes  of  youth.  Frequently  I  sit  down  in  my 
office,  after  a  fatiguing  day's  work,  or  a  fit  of  the  "blues,"  and 
get  rid  of  the  whole  of  them  by  paying  a  visit  to  you  all  at 
Gorham.  It  is  the  easiest  thing  in  the  world — it  does  not  take 
me  more  than  a  second  to  go  from  Yicksburg  there.  After  I 
get  there,  I  seat  myself  among  you,  and  look  around  to  see  what 
changes  five  years  have  produced  in  you  all.  I  see  mother  sit 
ting  beside  me,  with,  perhaps,  a  few  more  of  the  marks  of  age 
than  when  I  left,  but  in  other  respects  the  same — with  the  same 
gentle  and  kind  look  which  she  always  turned  towards  me. 
even  when  reproving  me  for  some  idle  scrape,  or  foolish  act. 
There,  too,  I  see  sister  Abby,  shot  up  from  a  fair- haired  little 
girl,  to  a  tall,  handsome,  demure-looking,  young  lady — and 
thinking,  for  aught  I  know  to  the  contrary,  which  of  half-a- 
dozen  beaux  she  likes  best.  And  who  is  this  laughing,  romping, 
bright-eyed  girl,  who  looks  so  full  of  fun  and  mischief?  I 
think,  as  near  as  I  recollect,  it  must  be  sister  A.  Brother  G. 
I  recognize  in  a  minute — for  he  has  got  his  books,  and  is  study 
ing  as  soberly  as  a  deacon.  Have  you  heard  yet  from  S.  ? 
I  have  not,  and  cannot  conceive  what  has  become  of  him.  I 
suppose  you  are  at  Portland  yet.  Write  me  often,  and  tell  ma 
what  studies  you  are  pursuing ;  are  you  taking  lessons  in  music 
and  painting? 

My  love  and  kindest  wishes  to  you  all. 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

S.  S.  PKENTISS. 


TO     THE     SAME  . 

VICKSBUBG,  November  11,  1882. 

DEAR  ABBY: — 

I  was  gratified,  a  day  or  two  since,  in  receiving  a 
letter  from  you.  I  have  just  heard,  too,  from  George,  and  per 
ceive  that  he  is  pleased  with  college.  He  is  to  room,  it  seems, 


118  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

with  Reuben  N" ason ;  that  will  do  very  well.  By  the  by,  when 
you  see  Mr.  Nason  remember  me  to  him,  with  my  best  respects. 
Tell  him  I  have  not  forgotten,  nor  ever  shall,  my  old  preceptor 
— under  whose  instructions  I  acquired  a  great  portion  of  the 
information  which  I  possess  ;  and  which,  slight  as  it  is,  I  would 
not  exchange  for  a  fortune.  He  always  treated  me  kindly,  and 
I  never  shall  forget  it. 

I  am  gratified,  my  dear  sister,  that  you  have  the  inclina 
tion  and  the  opportunity  to  improve  your  mind,  to  acquire 
those  accomplishments,  which  will  not  only  greatly  increase 
your  own  means  of  enjoyment,  but  what  is  equally  valuable, 
enable  you  to  add  much  to  the  happiness  of  those  with  whom 
you  may  associate  in  after-life.  There  is  nothing  which  would 
afford  me  more  pleasure,  or  of  which  I  should  feel  prouder,  than 
to  see  my  sisters  accomplished  and  well  educated :  not  merely 
accomplished  in  appearance,  and  in  a  few  superficial  acquire 
ments,  but  with  well  cultivated  intellects — capable  of  conversing 
upon,  and  understanding,  the  ordinary  occurrences  of  the  world, 
and  conversant — to  some  extent,  at -least — with  the  history  of  the 
planet  upon  which  they  live.  I  have  known  very  accomplished 
young  ladies,  who  did  not  know  whether  the  earth  was  flat  or 
round — whether  the  government  under  which  they  lived,  was 
monarchical  or  republican.  Such,  however,  I  have  no  fear  of 
finding  my  sister  Abby. 

Since  I  wrote  last,  we  have  had  the  cholera  m  Vicksburg.  I 
did  not  leave  town,  nor  have  I  had  any  reason  to  regret  it.  My 
health  has  been,  and  still  continues  good.  It  broke  out  very 
suddenly  and  very  violently;  most  of  the  people  fled — but  I 
thought  it  about  as  safe  to  remain  in  town,  where  I  could  get 
medical  assistance  immediately,  in  case  I  was  taken.  There  is 
not  danger  if  medical  aid  is  obtained  in  time — but  half-an-hour's 
delay  may  be  fatal.  It  is  a  terrible  disease.  I  saw  persons 
walking  about  the  streets  perfectly  well,  that  were  corpses  in 
two  or  three  hours  afterwards.  Only  two  or  three  respectable 
citizens  died — most  of  the  deaths  being  among  the  negroes  and 
transient  persons.  It  is  raging  awfully  in  New  Orleans.  They 
are  dying  at  the  rate  of  three  hundred  a-day.  Here  it  is  alJ 


THE    CHOLERA.  119 

over  now  ;  so  mother  need  not  be  uneasy.     My  love  to  you  all. 
Write  soon. 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

SEARGENT. 

TO    HIS  BROTHER    WILLIAM,    AT    NEW    YORK. 

VICKSBURQ,  November  18,  1832. 

DEAR  BROTHER  : — 

Since  I  wrote  you  last  we  have  had  a  pretty 
severe  touch  of  the  cholera  in  this  place,  but  it  has  now  left  119 
entirely.  There  has  been  no  new  case  for  a  week  or  more.  It 
prevailed  here  about  ten  days,  more  severely  than  at  any  other 
place  of  the  same  size  I  have  heard  from.  Most  of  the  inhabi 
tants,  however,  were  panic-struck,  and  fled  to  the  country. 
There  were  not  more  than  two  or  three  hundred  left.  There 
were  about  seventy  cases,  and  about  twenty-five  or  thirty  deaths, 
besides  a  large  number  of  deaths  from  steamboats.  I  did  not 
leave  town  during  its  prevalence.  I  thought  it  was  about  as 
safe  to  stay  here.  I  did  not  care  much  about  it  any  how. 
I  had  none  of  the  symptoms  of  the  disease,  and  was  never  in 
better  health  in  my  life. 

We  are  on  the  tip-toe  to  hear  the  result  of  the  Presiden 
tial  election — but  I  fear  there  is  no  chance  of  defeating  Old 
Hickory.  Louisiana  has  gone  for  Jackson  ;  Kentucky,  however, 
has  redeemed  herself,  and  gone  for  Clay  by  a  large  majority. 

We  are  now  waiting,  with  the  utmost  anxiety,  to  hear  from 
your  great  State  of  New  York.  Pennsylvania,  I  fear,  has  gone 
for  Jackson. 

I  received  your  letter  a  few  days  since,  and  am  eitremelj 
sorry,  I  assure  you,  to  hear  that  you  have  suffered  so  much  from 
the  effects  of  the  cholera  on  business.  I  trust  by  the  next  time 
you  write,  your  prospects  will  be  better.  Business  here  is,  also, 
very  dull  at  present. 

Washington  Irving  passed  down  the  other  day.  He  stopped 
here  a  few  hours.  I  was  much  pleased  with  him. 

Write  me  again  soon,  and  believe  me 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

S.  S.  PEKNTISS. 


120  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

/ 
TO     HIS     SISTKE     ABBT. 

WASHINGTON  CITT,  February  8,  1883. 

DEAK  SISTEE  : — 

I  wrote  to  mother  a  few  days  since,  informing  her 
of  my  arrival  in  this  place,  and  promising,  before  I  left,  to  write 
to  you.  It  is  with  pleasure  that  I  redeem  my  promise.  I 
expect  to  leave  in  a  day  or  two,  though  it  is  somewhat  uncer 
tain,  inasmuch  as  I  have  not  yet  finally  arranged  the  business 
on  which  I  came.  That  business,  as  I  mentioned  in  mother's 
letter,  relates  to  some  land-claims.  I  shall  get  away  this  week 
certainly — for  I  am  heartily  tired  of  the  place,  and  extremely 
anxious  to  return  to  Mississippi.  It  was  a  sacrifice  to  me  to 
leave  my  business  there,  but  I  thought  it  would  also  be  of  great 
advantage  to  spend  a  few  weeks  at  the  Federal  City,  and 
become  acquainted  with  the  principal  men  from  the  different 
quarters  of  the  Union. 

And  now,  I  suppose,  you  will  wish  to  know  how  I  am 
pleased  with  the  Metropolis  of  the  United  States,  and  the  people 
and  things  that  are  therein.  On  the  whole,  I  have  been 
extremely  disappointed.  Washington  City  is  not  half  so  hand 
some  or  pleasant  a  place  as  Portland.  The  houses  are  very 
ordinary,  and  scattered  over  so  large  an  extent  of  ground,  that 
it  gives  the  city  quite  a  desolate  appearance — as  if  there  had 
been  a  great  many  fires  in  it.  I  was  not,  however,  disappointed 
in  the  Capitol.  It  is  a  most  magnificent  edifice,  and  is  the  only 
building  I  have  ever  seen,  which  answers  fully  to  the  descrip 
tions  of  palaces  that  we  read  of  in  novels  and  story-books. 

The  President's  House — or,  as  it  is  generally  called,  the 
White  House — is  also  a  fine  looking  building ;  but  is  by  no  means 
so  splendidly  furnished  as  I  expected.  I  had  read  so  much 
about  it  in  the  papers,  that  I  thought  I  should  see  an  oriental 
palace — but  on  the  contrary,  most  of  the  rooms  are  so  plainly 
furnished  as  to  appear  rather  desolate  and  gloomy. 

1  visited  tlie  White  House  in  company  with  one  of  the  Sena 
tors  from  Mississippi ;  and  was  introduced  by  him  to  the 
President,  with  whom  we  chatted  about  fifteen  minutes, 
General  Jackson  is  an  old  looking  man,  and  answers  very  well 


HIS    OPINION    OF    GREAT   MEN.  121 

to  the  prints  you  see  of  him  in  the  shops.  I  think  him  about 
as  fit  to  be  President  of  the  United  States  as  I  am.  But  I  ought 
not  to  talk  so — for,  for  aught  I  know  to  the  contrary,  you  and 
A.  may,  both  of  you,  be  "Jackson  men,"  and  then  I  have  got 
myself  into  a  pretty  scrape  ! 

I  have  seen  nearly  all  the  great  men  of  the  nation,  and  have 
become  acquainted  with  some  of  them.  Hereafter  I  shall  have 
a  much  less  opinion  of  great  men.  They  are  by  no  means  so 
much  superior  to  the  rest  of  mankind,  as  they  are  apt  to  imagine. 
You  have  no  idea  how  destitute  of  talent  more  than  one-half 
the  Members  of  Congress  are  ;  nine  out  often  of  your  ordinary 
acquaintance  are  fully  equal  to  them.  There  are,  however, 
some  truly  great  men  here — among  the  foremost  of  whom  are 
Webster,  Clay,  and  Calhoun ;  I  consider  these  the  three  most 
talented  men  in  the  nation. 

I  am  glad  to  hear  that  W.  will  be  married  in  the  spring; 
I  think  it  will  increase  his  happiness.  If  he  marries  Angelina 

H ,  he  will  marry  an  excellent  girl,  and  I  know  of  no  one 

whom  I  should  be  more  pleased  with  as  a  sister-in-law.  She  is 
an  old  friend  of  mine  ;  you  must  remember  me  to  her  with  my 
best  respects.  My  love  to  you  all. 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

SKARGKNT. 


TO     HIS    MOTHEE. 

VICMBTOG,  March  80, 1888. 

MY  DEAR  MOTHER: 

More  than  the  usual  delay  has  occurred  since  I 
wrote  last ;  but,  in  fact,  I  have  just  got  home — having  been 
detained  more  than  twice  as  long  as  I  expected.  I  did  not  leave 
Washington  City  till  the  first  of  March,  although  I  was  in  daily 
expectation  of  leaving  for  three  or  four  weeks  before  that  time. 

I  believe  I  told  you  my  business  there.  I  was  employed  to 
argue  a  case  in  the  Supreme  Court,  and  for  more  than  three 
weeks  I  attended  the  Court  every  day,  expecting  to  get  it  tried. 

6 


122  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

I  succeeded  at  last ;  and  had  the  honor  of  addressing  their 
Honors  the  Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  tne  United  States. 
I  made  a  speech  three  or  four  hours  long;  and  I  suppose  you 
will  say,  I  have  acquired  a  great  deal  of  brass  since  I  left  home, 
when  I  tell  you  I  was  not  at  all  abashed  or  alarmed  in  address 
ing  so  grave  a  set  of  men.* 

Had  I  had  any  idea  of  being  detained  so  long,  you  would  have 
&een  me  at  home ;'  but  I  did  not  dare  to  leave  Washington  for  fear 
the  case  would  come  on  in  my  absence.  I  ought  to  have  got 
back  here  more  than  a  month  ago,  and  the  consequence  is  that 
my  business  has  suffered  materially.  Having  been  very  careless 
in  the  collection  of  my  fees,  I  have  lost  a  good  deal  the  past 
winter  by  the  failure  of  several  individuals,  who  owed  me  con 
siderable  sums  of  money.  I  fear,  therefore,  I  shall  be  compelled 
to  disappoint  you — but  still  more,  myself — of  my  expected  trip 
home  this  summer.  I  could  sit  down  and  cry  about  it,  like  a 
child,  if  it  would  do  any  good. 

AprUll. 

I  have  just  returned  from  attending  court  about  forty  miles  in 
the  interior,  and  have  to  start  to-morrow  to  attend  another  still 
further  distant.  We  have  no  stages  here,  and  I  go  to  all  these 
courts  on  horseback.  I  think  nothing  of  riding  fifty  miles  a  day. 
I  ride  a  great  deal,  and  have  no  doubt  it  has  contributed  much 
to  my  health,  while  use  has  made  it  a  very  pleasant  exercise. 

I  hope  you  will  not  think  hard  of  my  having  again  disap 
pointed  you  in  the  visit,  which  we  all  anticipated  with  so  much 
pleasure.  Indeed  you  must  not;  for  that  would  double  my 
regret,  which  is  great  enough  already.  It  is  not  any  want  of 
affection  for  you  all,  but  the  desire  I  feel  to  assist  my  brothers 
and  sisters,  that  has  induced  me  to  forego,  for  another  year,  the 
delight  of  coming  home.  And  I  well  recollect  that  one  of  the 


*  "  When  young  in  years  and  young  as  a  lawyer,  be  appeared  before  the 
Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States,  and  his  pleadings,  in  spite  of  his  youthful  fire 
and  highly-wrought  fancy,  were  so  happily  fortified  by  deep  reading  and  deep 
thought,  as  to  instantly  attract  the  notice  of  Chief  Justice  Marshall,  and  call  forth 
from  that  master-mind  involuntary  praise."—  T.  S.  Thorpe's 
Whig  Review,  1851. 


RIDES   THROUGH    A    SWAMP.  123 

last  injunctions  of  my  dear  father,  just  before  his  death,  waa 
that  I  should  assist  the  children ;  and  he  seemed  to  have  a  con 
fidence  that  I  should,  one  day,  be  able  to  do  so.  My  love  to  you 
all,  and  don't  forget  to  write  often. 

Your  affectionate  son, 

SEARGENT. 


TO      HIS      BROTHER     WILLIAM. 

VICKSBURG,  April  30,  1S83. 

DEAR  WILLIAM  : — 

I  have  just  returned  from  attending  the  Circuit. 
I  have  been  gone  ever  since  I  wrote  you  last,  and  have  had  a 
pretty  rough  time  of  it.  I  have  been  east  of  Pearl  River.  I 
travel  entirely  on  horseback,  and  have  had  to  swim  on  my 
horse,  over  creeks  and  bayous  that  would  astonish  your  northern 
people,  whose  roads  are  all  turnpiked.  Beyond  Pearl  River,  I 
bad  to  ride,  and  repeatedly  to  swim,  through  a  swamp  four  miles 
in  extent,  in  which  the  water  was  all  the  time  up  to  the  horse's 
belly.  What  do  you  think  of  that  for  a  lawyer's  life?  It  would 
kill  your  New  York  cockneys  in  a  week.  To  these  hard  rides  1 
attribute,  as  much  as  to  any  other  cause,  the  excellent  health 
which  I  have  always  enjoyed. 

The  cholera  has  appeared  again  in  New  Orleans,  and  all 
along  the  Mississippi.  The  boats  are  full  of  it,  and  we  have 
had  several  cases  here.  I  feel,  however,  no  apprehension  on  the 
subject.  I  hope  you  will  not  have  it  again  in  New  York,  as  it 
bore  so  hardly  on  you  last  year. 

Mr.  Huston  will  be  in  New  York  by  the  time  this  letter 
reaches  there.  He  passed  up  the  river  the  other  day ;  I  intended 
to  have  written  you  by  him,  but  did  not  see  him  when  he  passed 
here.  I  wish  you  would  find  him  out,  and  he  can  tell  you  al3 
about  me. 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

SEARGENT. 


124  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S     PRENTISS. 


TO     THE      SAM  E . 


VICKSBURG,  June  24,  1888. 

DEAR  BROTHER  : — 

I  have  just  returned  from  spending  several  weeks  at 
Natchez,  and  much  to  my  gratification  found  a  letter  from  you 
awaiting  me  in  the  post-office.  The  cholera  has  been  raging  here 
to  a  horrrbie  extent.  Every  place  on  the  river  has  suffered  more 
or  less,  and  not  only  on  the  river  but  for  many  miles  in  the  inte 
rior,  the  disease  has  prevailed  so  as  wholly  to  depopulate  many 
plantations;  scarcely  one  has  escaped  without  some  loss.  In  fact, 
the  ravages  of  t\iis  terrible  epidemic  have  been  much  more  exten 
sive  than  they  were  last  year,  and  God  knows  when  or  where 
they  will  stop,  I  see  the  disease  is  travelling  north,  and  is 
already  desolating  tho  interior  of  Kentucky  and  Tennessee,  and 
before  long,  you  must,  have  it  again  at  the  East. — I  would 
advise  you  by  all  means,  to  regulate  your  business  under  the 
supposition  that  you  will  have  it  among  you  this  summer. 

I 'have  reason  to  congratulate  myself  upon  my  escape  so 
far  without  even  the  slightest  premonitory  symptoms.  I  was 
never  in  better  health, 

I  am  glad  you  opened  youi  mind  to  me  so  freely  on  the  subject 
of  your  marriage.  I  agree  perfectly  with  you ;  I  believe  there 
is  no  situation  in  which  marriage  is  not  an  advantage  to  a  man, 
even  in  a  pecuniary  point  of  view,  vrithout  mentioning  the  incalcu 
lable  increase  of  Kappines*  which  must  result  from  a  well-assorted 
match.  My  candid  and  reasonable  advice  is,  marry,  and  you 
may  rest  assured  that  such  a  union  as  you  will  form,  can  never 
impede  your  success,  or  advancement  in  the  world.  I  am  sorry 

to  hear  of  Captain  H.'s  death.     Remember  me  to  A ,  when 

you  see  her. 

At  present  business  has  entirely  ceased  with  us  here.  Goods 
are  rotting  on  the  merchants'  shelves  for  want  of  buyers.  Books 
sometimes  sell  here  in  the  winter,  but  would  not  sell  at  all  at 
any  oilier  season.  Law  Books  sell  very  high  in  this  country, 
but  ihey  must  be  the  latest  editions. 


QUANTITY   OF  KNOWLEDGE    NOT   POWER.  125 

I  am  alarmed  about  S.,  since  the  cholera  has  appeared  on 
the  river.     Take  care  of  yourself,  if  it  comes  among  you. 
Your  affectionate  brother, 

SEARGENT. 


TO     HIS     YOUNGEST      BE  OTHER. 

VICKSBURO,  August  9,  1888. 

DEAR  GEORGE  : — 

I  am  gratified  to  find  you  are  pleased  with  College 
and  properly  appreciate  its  advantages.  Let  me  particular!} 
recommend  to  you  to  cultivate,  as  much  as  possible,  your  powers 
of  elocution,  for  which  the  society  you  belong  to,  will  afford 
ample  opportunity.  By  this,  I  mean  the  faculty  of  debating; 
of  expressing  your  own  ideas  in  the  best  and  most  effective 
manner. 

This  attainment  is  to  every  man  of  the  utmost  importance. 
It  is  no  less  than  the  power  of  using  his  other  attainments, 
for  of  what  advantage  is  information,  unless  one  is  able  to  convey 
it  and  show  the  world  that  one  possesses  it?  Indeed,  my  obser 
vation  of  mankind  has  convinced  me,  that  success  in  life  depends 
not  so  much  upon  the  actual  quantity  of  knowledge,  which  a 
man  possesses,  as  upon  the  skill  and  facility  with  which  he  is 
enabled  to  bring  it  to  bear  upon  the  affairs  in  which  he  may  be 
engaged.  This  is  particularly  true  with  regard  to  great  men. 
Their  greatness  consists  less  in  the  extent  of  their  knowledge  than 
in  the  way  in  which  they  use  it.  There  are  hundreds,  perhaps 
thousands,  of  men  in  the  United  States,  who  exceed  Henry  Clay, 
in  information  on  all  subjects;  but  his  superiority  consists  in 
the  power  and  adroitness  with  which  he  brings  his  informa 
tion  to  bear.  I  would  again  press  before  any  other  acquisition, 
that  of  expressing  forcibly  and  with  ease  any  idea,  which  the 
mind  may  entertain.  This  faculty  is  attained  with  difficulty  in 
after  life,  but  with  ease  in  youth,  at  College,  and  nowhere  so 
well  as  in  the  Debating  Societies  of  such  Institutions. 


126  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

TO     HIS     MOTHER. 

TICKSBURG,  Aug.  2T,  1888. 

MY  DEAR  MOTHER: — 

'  Though  I  have  nothing  new  to  tell  you,  I  believe 
it  is  about  time  to  write  you  according  to  my  usual  custom.  But 
were  it  not  that  you  assure  me  to  the  contrary,  I  should  expect 
you  to  have  become  heartily  tired  of  the  frequency  and  dullness 
of  my  letters. 

I  am  glad  you  are  reconciled  to  the  disappointment  in  regard 
to  my  visit  this  summer ;  for  I  assure  you  I  have  suffered  as 
much  regret  on  your  account  as  on  my  own,  and  that  is  by  no 
means  small. 

I  start  to-morrow  to  attend  the  Courts  of  several  counties  in 
the  interior  of  the  State.  I  go  on  horseback,  and  shall  have  a 
long  but  healthy  ride  of  it  before  I  get  back.  I  suppose  I  shall 
have  to  ride  altogether  at  least  250  miles,  so  you  see  a  lawyer's 
life  in  this  country  is  by  no  means  a  lazy  one. 

Since  I  wrote  last,  I  have  formed  a  partnership  in  the  practice 
of  my  profession,  with  a  gentleman  of  the  name  of  Guion.*  He 
is  a  good  lawyer  and  a  very  excellent  man.  He  has  been  for 
many  years  practising  in  this  place.  The  partnership  is  a  plea 
sant  one,  and  I  think  will  prove  advantageous  to  me. 

Your  anxiety  about  S.,  cannot  be  greater  than  mine.  Still, 
I  cannot  think  anything  has  befallen  him.  If  so,  we  must 
some  of  us  have  heard  of  it.  An  acquaintance  of  mine  is  just 
going  from  this  place  to  St.  Louis,  and  he  has  promised  rne  that 
he  will  make  a  thorough  inquiry  about  him ;  and  if  he  has  been  at 
St.  Louis  at  all,  I  think  I  cannot  fail  of  getting  information.  If 
I  cannot  learn  something  shortly,  I  shall  go  up  to  St.  Louis 
myself,  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  his  fate.  As  I  said  before, 
I  cannot  believe  any  accident  has  befallen  him,  notwithstanding 
his  long  silence. 

My  own  impression  is,  that  he  must  have  joined  one  of  tliose 
trading  or  hunting  companies,  that  are  continually  leaving  St. 


Hon.  John  I.  Guion. 


LETTERS.  127 

Louis,  and  are  frequently  absent  two  or  Ihree  years  at  a  time,  in 
the  Far  West. 

You  ask  me,  my  dear  mother,  my  sentiments  on  the  subject 
of  religion.  I  hardly  know  what  answer  to  make  you.  I  cannot 
pretend  to  say  that  I  have  experienced  any  change  on  that  sub 
ject  since  I  left  home.  I  trust  the  pious  manner  in  which  I  was 
educated,  and  the  excellent  examples,  which  T  had  in  my  parents, 
of  the  value  of  religion,  will  induce  me  never  to  look  upon  it 
otherwise  than  with  respect  and  reverence.  In  all  its  great 
principles,  I  also  trust,  I  have  implicit  belief.  I  confess  that  with 
regard  to  what  is  called  conversion,  I  never  well  understood 
it.  So  far  as  religion  teaches  us  to  do  good,  and  to  abstain  from 
evil,  I  acknowledge  its  excellence,  and  hope  I  am  not  entirely 
without  its  influence ;  but  the  distinction  of  sects,  and  the 
necessity  of  belonging  to  any  one  of  them,  as  well  as  a  great 
many  of  the  abstract  articles  of  belief — considered  essential 
by  some  denominations,  by  others  not — are  all  beyond 
my  comprehension.  If  I  am  wrong,  it  is  from  want  of  under 
standing  and  not  from  willfulness.  Whatever  may  be  my  notions 
on  this  matter,  however,  I  trust  the  time  will  never  come,  when 
I  shall  be  forgotten  in  the  prayers  of  my  mother.  My  love  to 
you  all. 

Your  affectionate  son, 

SEAEGENT 


TO     HIS     SISTER     ANNA. 

VICKSBUKO,  Dec.  22,  1888. 

DEAR  SISTER: — 

In  gratitude  for  your  kind  letter,  of  Nov.  18th, 
which  I  have  just  received,  I  shall  make  you  my  correspondent 
this  time.  Your  letter  both  pained  and  gratified  me.  I  was 
deeply  alarmed,  as  you  may  well  suppose,  to  hear  that  our  dear 
mother  had  been  suffering  from  so  severe  an  illness ;  but  my 


128  MEMOIR   OP    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

joy  was  also  veiry  great  to  learn,  at  the  same  time,  that  all  dan 
ger  was  over.  I  am  very  glad  you  did  not  write  me  till  you 
could  g've  me  the  good  news  with  the  bad  ;  for  I  should  have 
suffered  irore  than  I  can  express,  at  the  idea  of  even  a  possi 
bility  of  losing  a  parent,  whom  we  all  have  such  reason  to  love. 
If  the  very  thought  of  such  an  event  makes  me  tremble,  what 
would  the  reality  be? 

And  you  too,  my  sweet  sister,  have  been  ill,  but  you  must 
not  be  so  any  more.  I  shall  take  it  very  unkind  of  you,  if  you 
are — yOU  know  I  have  never  been  sick,  nor  caused  you  any 
alarm  on  that  score. 

However,  your  epistle  is  so  sprightly  and  good-humored,  that 
I  cannot  think  the  fine  spirits  which  it  exhibits  can  be  accom 
panied  by  very  bad  health.  If  you  are  as  sprightly  and  amusing  in 
conversation  as  you  are  in  letter-writing,  I  imagine  there  will  be  a 
noisy  house,  when  we  meet,  and  it  will  require  all  our  sober  and 
demure  sister  Abby's  authority  to  keep  us  quiet.  And  then  we 
shall  have  such  delightful  quarrels  ;  indeed  I  have  one  with  you 
now,  and  won't  wait  till  I  see  you. 

What!  you  think  to  put  me  off  with  some  old  maid,  do 
you?  Now  I  can  tell  you,  that  when  I  get  to  be  rich  (which  I 
mean  to  be  one  of  these  days),  and  own  a  cotton  plantation, 
and  all  that— the  youngest  and  prettiest  of  your  girls  will  jump 
at  the  chance  of  marrying— not  your  poor  brother  Seargent 
—but  his  fortune.  You  girls,  are  all  very  romantic  when  you 
talk  about  love  and  marriage;  but  when  you  came  to  act  on  the 
subject,  you  can  have  as  sharp  an  eye  for  the  "main  chance'''' 
as  any  of  us,  mercenary  men.  there,  now,  I  think  I  have 
thrown  down  the  gauntlet,  and  I  have  no  doubt  you  will  take 
it  up  and  belabor  me  well  for  what  you  will  call  my  vile  slander. 
But,  dear  me!  I  am  writing  a  very  simple  letter,  and  haven't 
room  enough  left  to  redeem  my  character  in— I  must,  therefore, 
to  use  a  professional  phrase,  u  throw  myself  upon  the  mercy  of 
the  Court,''  and  if  you  punish  me  at  all,  do  it  by  writing  a  letter 
equally  simple.  But  good  by.  God  bless  you  all. 
Your  affectionate  brother, 

FEAKGENT. 


THE    SOUTHWEST   TWENTY-FIVE   YEARS   AGO.  129 


CHAPTER    VI. 


The  Southwest  a  Quarter  of  a  Century  ago— Hostile  Meef.ng  with  Gen.  Foote— 
Frequency  of  Duels  in  Mississippi  at  that  time— Lord  Lacon's  Opinion  of  thii 
"  Desperate  Evil,"  its  Causes  and  Cure— Letters  Home— Rapid  Increase  of 
Business — Recollections  of  him  when  riding  the  Circuit — A  Night's  Imprison 
ment — Eulogy  on  Lafayette. 


Mi.  24—26.     1833—1835. 

THE  Southwest,  twenty-five  or  thirty  years  ago,  was  a 
country  very  different  from  what  it  now  is.  The  emigrant 
character  of  a  large  part  of  the  population,  the  adven 
turous  spirit  of  the  new-comers,  most  of  whom  were 
young  men  in  quest  of  fortune,  the  absence  of  many  of  those 
restraining  influences  and  domestic  habits  which  mark  an 
old  established  community,  the  sharp  competitions  of  busi 
ness  and  professional  rivalries,  almost  wholly  unchecked  by 
previous  acquaintance  or  familiar  ties  of  friendship  and 
kindred — these,  with  similar  causes,  naturally  engendered  a 
peculiar  and  anomalous  state  of  society.  Every  man  stood 
on  the  arena  of  life,  alone  and  unpropped  ;  his  sole  armor 
was  his  own  native  strength  of  will,  courage  and  intellectual 
prowess.  If  he  lacked  either  mental  or  physical  nerve,  the 
gate  of  fortune  seemed  barred  against  him.  This  was,  no 
doubt,  a  severe  school  both  for  the  trial  and  development 
of  individual  character  ;  but  it  was  a  school  which  few 
could  pass  through,  even  successfully,  without  learning 
much  of  evil  as  well  as  of  good. 

The  vices  which  usually  infest  such  a  condition  of  society, 
fi* 


130  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

were  not  wanting  here  ;  intemperance,*  skepticism,  profane- 
ness,  gambling,  and  fashionable  dissipation — not  to   speak 

*  In  reference  to  the  drinking  habits  of  society  in  Mississippi,  at  this  time,  a  few  pas. 
gages  may  be  cited  to  advantage,  from  a  highly  interesting  article,  communicated  to 
the  Boston  Medical  Journal,  of  1853,  by  Dr.  Cartwright,  a  veteran  physician  of  the 
Southwest.  Nothing  could  be  more  instructive,  or  impressive,  than  such  statistics. 
^  "The  writer  is  one  of  three  physicians,  who  located  in  Natchez  thirty  years  ago. 
The  new-comers  found  only  one  practitioner  in  the  city  belonging  to  the  same 
temperance  school  with  themselves.  The  country  and  villages,  within  fifteen  miles 
around,  afforded  only  three  more.  All  the  rest  believed  in  the  hygienic  virtues  of 
alcoholic  drinks,  and  taught  that  doctrine  by  precept  and  example.  Besides  the 
practising  physicians,  there  were  ten  others  in  the  city  and  adjacent  country,  who 
had  retired  from  the  profession.  They  were  all  temperate.  Thus,  including  the 
new-comers,  the  total  number  of  temperance  physicians,  in  and  near  Natchez, 
thirty  years  ago,  consisted  of  seventeen.  Of  these,  five  have  died:  Dr.  Henry 
Tooley,  aged  about  seventy-five  years;  Dr.  Andrew  M'Creary,  aged  seventy;  Dr. 
J.  Kerr,  sixty ;  Dr.  Wm.  Dunbar,  sixty ;  Dr.  James  A.  McPheeters,  forty-nine.  In 
1823,  the  average  ages  of  the  seventeen  was  about  thirty-four  years.  According  to 
the  Carlisle  Tables  of  Mortality,  and  those  of  the  Equitable  Insurance  Company  of 
London,  seven,  instead  of  five,  would  have  been  the  ratio  of  mortality  in  England. 
Those  at  present  living  are,  Drs.  D.  Lattimore,  W.  Wren,  Stephen  Duncan,  Jamea 
Metcalf,  W.  N.  Mercer,  G.  W.  Grant,  J.  Sanderson,  Benjamin  F.  Young,  T.  G.  Elliott, 

Phoenix,  Professor  A.  P.  Merrill,  and  the  writer. 

"  On  the  other  hand,  every  physician  of  Natchez  and  its  vicinity,  thirty  years  ago, 
whether  practising  or  retired,  who  was  in  the  habit  of  tippling,  as  the  practice  of 
drinking  alcoholic  beverages  is  called,  has  long  since  been  numbered  with  the  dead! 
Only  two  of  them,  who  were  comparatively  temperate,  lived  to  be  grey.  Their 
average  term  of  life  did  not  exceed  thirty-five  years  ;  and  the  average  term  of  life 
of  those  who  were  in  the  habit  of  taking  alcoholic  drinks  frequently  between  meals 
and  in  an  empty  stomach,  did  not  reach  thirty  years.  In  less  than  ten  years  after 
they  commenced  practice,  the  most  of  them  died,  and  the  whole  of  them  have  sub 
sequently  fallen,  leaving  not  one  behind  in  city,  country,  or  village,  within  twenty 
miles  around. 

"To  fill  the  places  of  those  who  died  or  retired  from  the  profession,  sixty-two 
medical  men  settled  in  Natchez  and  its  vicinity,  between  the  years  1824  and  1835, 
embracing  a  period  of  ten  years;  not  counting  those  of  1823,  already  mentioned. 
Of  the  sixty-two  new-comers,  thirty-seven  were  temperate,  and  twenty-five  used 
alcoholic  beverages  between  meals,  though  not  often  to  the  extent  of  producing 
intoxication.  Of  the  thirty-seven  who  trusted  to  the  hygienic  virtues  of  Nature's 
beverage — plain,  unadulterated  water — nine  have  died,  and  twenty-eight  are  living. 
Of  the  twenty-five  who  trusted  to  the  supposed  hygienic  virtues  of  ardent  spirits,  all 
are  dead,  except  three  !  and  they  have  removed  to  distant  parts  of  the  country. 
Ptaee  be  to  their  ashes!  Though  mostly  noble  fellows,  misled  by  the  deceitful 
syren,  singing  the  praises  of  alcoholic  drinks,  to  live  too  fast,  and  to  be  cut  off  in 
the  outset  of  useful  manhood,  it  is  to  be  hoped  they  have  riot  lived  in  vain  ;  as  by 
their  sacrifice  science  has  gained  additional  and  important  proof  of  the  fallacy  of 
the  theory  which  attributes  health-preserving  properties,  p  a  Southern  climate,  U» 
alcoholic  beverages  ia  any  shape  or  form." 


THE    SOUTHWEST   TWENTY-FIVE    YEARS    AGO.  131 

now  of  duelling — were  sadly  prevalent.  It  would  be  a 
great  volume,  written  within  and  without  with  lamentation, 
which  should  record  all  the  melancholy  and  tragical  ends  to 
which  young  men  of  finest  promise — the  pr'de  and  hope  of 
some  of  the  best  families  in  the  country — were  brought  by 
reason  of  these  enemies  :  and  such  a  story,  if  faithfully  and 
candidly  told,  would,  perhaps,  often  call  forth  our  pity 
and  charity  quite  as  strongly  as  our  moral  censure.  In 
truth,  the  temptations  which  beset  a  young  man  of  talents, 
wit  and  companionable  temper,  in  Mississippi,  twenty-five 
or  thirty  years  ago — especially  if  he  came  from  the  North, 
and  was  unprotected  by  high  religious  principle — were  like 
a  burning  fiery  furnace  ;  one  can  only  marvel  that  anybody 
escaped.  The  free  and  habitual  use  of  intoxicating  drinks 
was  at  that  time,  to  be  sure,  pretty  general  throughout  the 
country  ;  but  gambling,  and  a  profane  disregard  of  the 
sabbath,*  public  worship,  and  other  institutions  of  Christian 
society,  were,  unquestionably,  much  more  common  in  the 
Southwest  than  among  the  same  class  at  the  North.  It  was 
rather  a  fashion,  and  the  mark  of  high  spirit  for  young  men 
of  education  to  be  skeptical,  and  to  shoot  the  keen — alas  1 


*  "  WThen  Mr.  PRENTISS  was  a  member  of  the  legislature,  a  proposition  was  intro 
duced  to  grant,  on  the  part  of  the  State,  a  lot  of  land  at  Jackson— the  newly  located 
seat  of  Government — to  each  denomination  of  Christians,  for  the  erection  thereon 
o('  a  house  of  worship.  The  proposal  encountered  opposition ;  whereupon  Mr. 
PRENTISS  rose  to  speak  on  it — no  one  knowing  which  side  he  was  going  to  take — and 
poured  forth  one  of  his  most  eloquent  speeches  in  behalf  of  the  law.  He  described 
the  bappy  effect  of  the  observance  of  the  Christian  Sabbath  upon  a  community,  and 
the  vices  which  spring  out  of  its  violation  ;  drawing,  in  the  course  of  his  remarks, 
a  vivid  picture  of  a  New  England  youth,  ingenuous,  free  from  moral  stain,  straying 
from  his  native  hills  to  the  far  South,  and  there,  on  some  bright  Sabbath  morn- 
no  church-going  bell  warning  him  of  his  danger— seduced  by  one  grown  grey  in  sin 
into  a  ruinous  game  of  cards,  when  he  should— and,  perhaps,  had  there  been  a  house 
of  God  near  by— would  have  been  very  differently  engaged. 

"  The  law  passed  in  due  form ;  and  now  each  of  the  denominations  have  a  place 
wherein  they  can  worship  God  according  to  the  d  rtates  of  their  own  consciences.* 
Lcitei-  from  W.  C.  8. 


132  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

too  often  poisoned — arrows  of  their  wit  at  the  sacred  truths, 
records,  and  venerable  observances  of  religion.  The  tone 
of  much  of  the  popular  literature,  the  Byronic  rage  and 
misanthropy,  the  influence  of  a  flippant  and  shallow  Biblical 
criticism  echoing  from  across  the  water  ;  and,  let  the  truth 
be  told,  the  revulsion  from  not  a  little  cant,  morbid  feeling, 
and  narrow  prejudice,  which  were  mixed  up  with  the 
genuine  piety  of  the  country  ;  these  all  conspired  to  make 
many  a  young  man  talk  and  act  like  an  infidel,  whose  edu 
cation  and  real  principles  were  far  above  such  conduct. 
But  there  were  others  whose  early  associations,  and  whole 
training  alike  fitted  them  to  be  scoffers  ;  young  men  of 
talen-t  and  liberal  culture,  perhaps,  but  who  had  never 
known  a  religious  home,  and  whose  conception  of  Christi 
anity  was  derived,  not  from  the  NEW  TESTAMENT,  but  from 
the  writings  of  Thomas  Paine,  Mr.  Jefferson,  and  the 
French  infidels.  It  was  a  favorite  custom  with  this  class  to 
deride  what  they  called  "  conventionalism,'7  in  which  they 
included,  not  merely  the  factitious  rules  and  empty  formal 
ism  of  society,  but  much  of  its  substantial  morality  ;  that 
morality  which  separates  between  virtue  and  vice,  and 
stamps  the  latter  with  public  dishonor. 

It  would  be  hardly  possible  to  appreciate  the  following 
narrative  without  some  knowledge  of  this  darker  phase — 
for  it  was  but  one  of  the  phases — of  the  social  life  of  Missis 
sippi,  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago. 

On  the  5th  of  October,  1833,  a  duel  occurred  between 
Mr.  Prentiss  and  Gen.  Henry  S.  Foote,  late  Governor  of 
Mississippi.  They  met  at  sunrise,  on  the  Louisiana  side  of 
the  river,  opposite  Yicksburg,  and  fought  with  pistols  at 
ten  steps.  The  former  writes,  a  few  days  later — "  I  threw 
up  my  pistol  as  I  fired,  not  intending  to  hit  him  at  all,  but 
BO  near  had  I  been  to  killing  him  that  my  ball,  even  as  J 


HOSTILE    MEETING    WITH    GEN.    FOOTE.  133 

threw   up   my   pistol,    hit   him    on   the   shoulder,   slightly 
wounding  him  in  the  flesh." 

His  correspondence  with  his  elder  brother,  describing  its 
cause  and  circumstances,  together  with  the  reasons,  which, 
in  Ms  view,  justified  his  conduct,  lies  before  me  ;  but  no  good 
end  would  be  secured  by  its  publication.  Not  long  after,  a 
second  meeting  took  place,  in  which  Gen.  Foote  was 
wounded.  These  were  the  only  duels  which  he  ever  fought. 
In  later  years,  he  and  Gen.  Foote  became  warm  personal 
friends.  During  his  last  visit  .North,  allusion  was  made,  in 
his  presence,  to  certain  unhandsome  reports  touching  that 
gentleman — then  Senator  in  Congress — and  which  grew  out 
of  the  above  duels.  I  shall  not  soon  forget  his  mingled 
expression  of  mortification  and  regret,  or  the  energy  of 
tone,  with  which  he  affirmed  their  entire  falsity.* 

It  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  he  could  so  far  depart 
from  the  principles  in  which  he  had  been  trained,  as  to  fight 
a  duel  without  some  inward  struggle  and  misgiving.  He 
well  knew  that  such  an  act  would  not  only  be  regarded 
with  severe  disapprobation  throughout  New  England,  but 
would  pierce  with  anguish  the  hearts  of  those,  who  were 
dearer  to  him  than  life.  The  latter  consideration,  in  parti 
cular  deeply  affected  him.  After  the  first  meeting  with  Gen. 
Foote,  an  old  friend,  R.  T.  Archer,  Esq.,  of  Port  Gibson, 
congratulated  him  on  his  escape  from  the  necessity  of  tak 
ing  the  life  of  a  fellow-man.  He  instantly  burst  into  tears, 
and  alluding  to  his  mother,  replied  with  deep  pathos,  that 
no  one  could  imagine  his  relief,  f 

But  he  was  young,  high-spirited,  reckless  of  consequences, 

*  In  a  letter,  dated  "  SENATE  CHAMBER — August  21, 1850,"  Gen.  Foote  writes . 
"Your  brother's  lamented  demise  shocked  my  sensibilities,  I  assure  you,  most  pro 
foundly,  and  I  believe  that  few  of  his  surviving  friends,  numerous  as  I  know  them 
to  be,  have  been  more  distressed  than  myself,  at  his  unexpected  decease." 

tHo  expressed  the  utmost  solicitude  lest  his  mother  should  know  of  the  affair,  and 
it  is  a  singular  fact,  that  she  never  did  until  after  his  death.  In  a  letter  to  hi* 
elder  brother,  dated  October  16, 1883,  be  writes : — "  For  the  1ast  three  or 


134  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

and  duelling  was,  among  men  of  the  world,  an  established 
custom  of  the  country.  He  had  persuaded  himself  too, 
that  not  only  his  own  reputation  but  that  of  New  England 
was  at  stak-3  ;  he  fancied  he  was  challenged  because  he  was 
' '  a  Yankee,  and  would  not  fight." 

In  answer  to  a  letter  from  his  youngest  brother,  strongly 
remonstrating  with  him  respecting  his  conduct,  he  wrote  :— 
"  I  am  very  sorry  you  heard  at  all  of  my  foolish  scrape.  I 
regretted  the  occurrence  as  much  as  any  one.  I  neither 
sought  the  difficulty  nor  sent  the  challenge,  but  having 
received  it  under  the  circumstances  that  existed,  I  could  not 
have  acted  differently  from  what  I  did.  If  I  had,  I  should 
have  lost  my  own  self-respect,  and  life  itself  would  have  had 
no  further  objects  for  me.  I  know  that  with  your  principles, 
no  excuse  will  be  sufficient  in  such  a  case.  I  am  no  advocate 
of  duelling,  and  always  shall  from  principle  avoid  such  a 
thing,  as  much  as  possible  ;  but  when  a  man  is  placed  in  a 
situation  where  if  he  does  not  fight,  life  will  be  rendered 
valueless  to  him,  both  in  his  own  eyes  and  those  of  the 
community,  and  existence  will  become  a  burden  to  him  ; 
then  I  say  he  will  fight,  and  by  so  doing,  will  select  the 
least  of  two  evils.  I  know  you  will  say  that-  such  a 
case  as  I  have  supposed,  cannot  occur  ;  but,  brother,  I 
think  you  are  mistaken,  and  such  cases  may  occur,  but  not 
often.  However,  I  trust  I  shall  never  again  have  occasion 
to  act  in  such  a  matter.  You  may  rest  assured,  that  I 
shall  never  seek  a  quarrel,  and  shall  always  avoid  one,  so 
long  as  I  can  do  so,  and  retain  my  self-respect." 

The  practice  of  duelling  was,  at  this  time,  frightfully  rife 
throughout    the    Southwest,    particularly    in    Mississippi. 

fhTve  had  some  bualnes7*oiTmy  hands,  which  has  prevented  my  writing,  and 
which  I  think  it  will  puzzle  you   to  guess.     I  will  tell  you,  but  you  must  not  fo 
the  worll  let  mother  have  the  slightest  hint  about  it.    I  have  fought  a  duel.»- 
adds  at  the  end  of  the  letter  :  "  Mother  must  on  no  account  hear  a  word  «      this, 
for  I  know  her  religious  feelings  and  principle  are  so  opposed  to  what  I  have  done, 
that  it  would  o\use  her  much  uneasiness." 

\ 


DREADFUL  EFFECTS  OF  DUELLING.  135 

Human  life  had  grown  so  cheap,  that  "  it  was  set  at  the 
price  of  words,  and  every  petty  scorn  arid  disgrace  could 
have  no  other  reparation  ;  nay,  so  many  men's  lives  were 
taken  away  with  impunity,  that  the  very  life  of  the  Law 
was  almost  taken  away  under  a  reverend  name  of  honor, 
and  reputation."  "  It  is  a  miserable  effect,"  says  Lord 
Bacon,  from  one  of  whose  charges  the  above  words  are  bor 
rowed,  "  my  lords,  it  is  a  miserable  effect,  when  young 
men?,  full  of  towardness  and  hope,  such  as  the  poets  call 
'  aurorse  filii,'  sons  of  the  morning,  in  whom  the  expectation 
and  comfort  of  their  friends  consisteth,  shall  be  cast  away 
and  destroyed  in  such  a  vain  manner  ;  but  much  more,  it  is 
to  be  deplored  when  so  much  noble  and  genteel  blood 
should  be  spilt  upon  such  follies,  as,  if  it  were  adventured  in 
the  field,  in  service  of  the  king  and  realm,  were  able  to  make 
the  fortune  of  a  day,  and  to  change  the  fortune  of  a  kingdom." 

How  many  sweet  homes,  now  desolate  for  ever — how 
many  happy  domestic  circles,  shattered  past  cure — how 
many  sorrow-stricken  hearts  throughout  the  land,  bear 
terrible  witness  to  this  "  miserable  effect  1" 

If  a  veracious  narrative  of  all  the  duels,  and  street-fights, 
which  have  ever  occurred  in  the  single  State  of  Mississippi, 
including  an  honest  account  of  all  their  evil  consequences, 
in  the  subsequent  history  of  the  survivors,  as  well  as  of 
the  families  and  relatives  of  the  parties,  if  such  a  narra 
tive  could  be  written  and  published,  it  would  "  a  tale 
unfold,"  which  no  man,  not  utterly  heart-hardened,  could 
read  without  a  shudder.  It  is  because  these  bitter  and 
remorseful  consequences  are  mainly  concealed  frcm  the 
general  eye,  or  seen  only  in  remote  and  indirect  connection 
with  their  proper  cause,  that  any  civilized  community  does 
not  rise  up  in  wrath,  and  put  the  stamp  of  infamy  and 
reprobation  upon  this  murderous  custom.  That  instead  of 
this,  it  should  be  still  winked  at,  if  not  countenanced,  bj 


136  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS, 

men  of  highest  standing  and  respectability,  throughout  large 
sections  of  the  Union,  especially  that  it  should  be  permitted 
to  infuse  its  fatal  taint  into  the  veins  of  the  rising  society 
of  the  Pacific — is  a  matter  worthy  of  profound  lamentation. 
Civilization  must  have  apostatized  very  far  from  the  Christian, 
or  even  a  refined  ethical  type,  where  this  barbarous  insti 
tution  is  tolerated.* 

*  In  the  above  remarks,  a  paragraph  is  quoted  from  "  The  charge  of  Sir  Francis 
Bacon,  Knight,  the  King's  Attorney-General,  touching  Duels." — Bacon's  Works, 
vol.  vi,  p.  108.  Montague's  edition. 

The  reader  may  not  be  unwilling  to  see  the  opinion  of  the  same  great  Jurist  and 
Philosopher,  in  reference  to  the  causes  and  cure  of  this  "  desperate  evil." 

"Touching  the  causes  of  it;  the  first  motive,  no  doubt,  is  a  false  and  erroneous 
imagination  of  honor  and  credit ;  and  therefore  the  king,  in  his  last  proclama 
tion,  doth  most  aptly  and  excellently  call  them  bewitching  duets.  For,  if  one 
judge  of  it  truly,  it  is  no  better  than  a  sorcery  that  enchanteth  the  spirits  of  young 
men,  that  bear  great  minds,  with  a  false  show,  « species  falsa :'  and  a  kind  of 
Satanical  illusion  and  apparition  of  honor  against  religion,  against  law,  against 
moral  virtue,  and  against  the  precedents  and  examples  of  the  best  times,  and 
valiantest  nations ;  as  I  shall  tell  you,  by  and  by,  when  I  shall  show  you  the  law 
of  England  is  not  alone  in  this  point. 

"  But  then  the  seed  of  this  mischief  being  such,  it  is  nourished  by  vain  discourses, 
and  green  and  unripe  conceits,  which  nevertheless  have  so  prevailed,  as  though  a 
man  were  staid  and  sober-minded,  and  a  right  believer  touching  the  vanity  and 
unlawfulness  of  these  duels;  yet  the  stream  of  vulgar  opinion  is  such,  as  it  itnposeth 
a  necessity  upon  men  of  value  to  conform  themselves,  or  else  there  is  no  living  or 
looking  upon  men's  faces ;  so  that  we  have  not  to  do  in  this  case,  so  much  with 
particular  persons,  as  with  unsound  and  depraved  opinions,  like  the  dominations 
and  spirits  of  the  air  which  the  Scripture  speaketh  of. 

"  Hereunto  may  be  added,  that  men  have  almost  lost  the  true  notion  and  under 
standing  of  fortitude  and  valor.  For  fortitude  distinguished  of  the  grounds  of 
quarrels,  whether  they  be  just ;  and  not  only  so,  but  whether  they  be  worthy 
and  setteth  a  better  price  upon  men's  lives  than  to  bestow  them  idly;  nay,  it  is 
weakness  and  disesteemof  a  man's  self,  to  put  a  man's  life  upon  such  liedger  perform 
ances  ;  a  man's  life  is  not  to  be  trifled  away  ;  it  is  to  be  offered  up  and  sacrificed  to 
honorable  services,  public  merits,  good  causes,  and  noble  adventures.  It  is  in 
expense  of  blood  as  it  is  in  expense  of  money  ;  it  is  no  liberality  to  make  a  profu 
sion  of  money  upon  every  occasicn,  nor  no  more  it  is  fortitude  to  make  an  effusion 
of  blood,  except  the  cause  be  of  worth,  and  thus  much  for  the  causes  (f  this  evil. 

"  For  the  remedies,  I  hope  some  great  and  noble  person  will  put  his  hand  to  thii 
plough,  and  I  wish  that  my  labors  of  this  day,  may  be  but  forerunners  to  the  work 
of  a  higher  and  better  hand.  But  yet  to  deliver  my  opinion  as  may  be  proper 
for  this  time  and  place,  there  be  four  things  that  I  have  thought  on,  as  the  most 
effectual  for  the  repressing  of  this  depraved  custom  of  particular  combats. 

44  The  first  is,  that  there  do  appear  and  be  declared  a  constant  and  settled  resolui 


LORD    BACON    OX    DUELLING.  137 

The  year  1834   found  Mr.  Prectiss  in  the  full  tide  of 
professional  success  ;   his  legal  reputation  was  now  firmly 

tion  in  the  State,  to  abolish  it.  For  this  is  a  thing,  my  lords,  must  go  down  at  once 
or  not  at  all ;  for  then  every  particular  man  will  think  himself  acquitted  in  his 
reputation,  when  he  sees  that  the  State  takes  it  to  heart,  as  an  insult  against  the 
king's  power  and  authority,  and  thereupon  hath  absolutely  resolved  to  master  it ; 
like  unto  'hat  which  was  set  down  in  express  words  in  the  edict  of  Charles  IX,  of 
France,  touching  duels,  that  the  king  himself  took  upon  him  the  honor  of  all  that 
took  themselves  grieved  or  interested  for  not  having  performed  the  combat  So 
must  the  State  do  in  this  business  ;  and  in  my  conscience  there  is  none  that  is  but 
of  a  reasonable  sober  disposition,  be  he  never  so  valiant,  except  it  be  some  furious 
person  that  is  like  a  fire-work,^but  will  be  glad  of  it,  when  he  shall  see  the  law  and 
rule  of  State  disinterest  him  of  a  vain  and  unnecessary  hazard. 

"  Secondly,  care  must  be  taken  that  this  evil  be  no  more  cockered,  nor  the  humor 
of  it  fed  ;  wherein  I  humbly  pray  your  Lordships  that  I  may  speak  my  mind  freely, 
and  yet  be  understood  aright.  The  proceedings  of  the  great  and  noble  commis 
sioners  martial,  I  honor  and  reverence  mifch,  and  of  them  I  speak  not  in  any  sort ; 
but  I  say,  the  compounding  of  quarrels,  which  is  otherwise  in  use  by  private  noble 
men  and  gentlemen,  it  is  so  punctual,  and  hath  such  reference  and  respect  unto 
the  received  conceits,  what's  before-hand  and  what's  behind-hand,  and  I  cannot 
tell  what,  as  without  all  question,  it  doth  in  a  fashion,  countenance  and  authorize 
this  practice  of  duels,  as  if  it  had  in  it  somewhat  of  right. 

"  Thirdly,  I  must  acknowledge  that  I  learned  out  of  the  king's  last  proclamation, 
the  most  prudent  and  best  applied  remedy  for  this  offence,  if  it  shall  pleaae  his 
majesty  to  use  it,  that  the  wit  of  man  can  devise.  This  offence,  my  lords,  is 
grounded  upon  a  false  conception  of  honor,  and  therefore  it  would  be  punished  in 
the  same  kind,  in  eo  quis  rectissime  plectitur,  in  quo  peccat.  The  fountain  of 
honor  is  the  king  and  his  aspect,  and  the  access  to  his  person  continueth  honor  in 
life,  and  to  be  banished  from  his  presence,  is  one  of  the  greatest  eclipses  of  honor 
that  can  be ;  if  his  majesty  shall  be  pleased  that  when  this  court  shall  censure  any 
of  these  offences  in  persons  of  eminent  quality,  to  add  this  out  of  his  own  power 
and  discipline,  that  these  persons  shall  be  banished  and  excluded  from  his  court, 
for  certain  years,  and  the  courts  of  his  queen  and  prince.  I  think  there  is  no  man 
that  hath  any  good  blood  in  him,  will  commit  an  act  that  shall  cast  him  into  that 
darkness,  that  he  may  not  behold  his  sovereign's  face. 

"  Lastly,  and  that  which  more  properly  concerneth  this  court ;  we  see,  my  lords 
the  root  of  this  offence  is  stubborn,  for  it  despiseth  death,  which  is  the  utmost  of 
punishments;  and  it  were  a  just  but  a  miserable  severity,  to  execute  the  law  with 
out  all  remission  or  mercy,  where  the  case  proveth  capital,  and  yet  the  late  severity 
in  France  was  more,  where,  by  a  kind  of  martial  law,  established  by  ordinance  of 
the  king  and  parliament,  the  party  that  had  slain  another  was  presently  led  to  the 
gibbet,  insomuch  as  gentlemen  of  great  quality  were  hanged,  their  wounds  bleeding, 
lest  a  natural  death  should  prevent  the  example  of  justice.  But,  my  lords,  the 
course  which  we  shall  take,  is  of  far  greater  lenity,  and  yet  of  no  less  efficacy; 
which  is  to  punish,  in  this  court,  all  the  middle  acts  and  proceedings  which  tend  to 
the  duel,  which  I  will  enumerate  to  you  anon,  and  so  to  hew  and  rex  the  root  in 
the  branches,  which,  no  doubt  in  the  end  will  kill  the  root,  and  yet  prevent  th« 
extremity  of  law." 


138  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

established  ;  the  fame,  too,  of  his  eloquence,  wit,  and  remark 
able  character,  was  noised  abroad  over  the  State.  Wher« 
ever  he  went,  he  was  quickly  encircled  by  a  crowd  of  curious 
and  eager  listeners.  Business  flowed  in  upon  him  from  every 
quarter.  In  November,  1833,  he  writes  to  his  mother  : 
"  Business  is  very  flourishing  with  me  now,  and  I  think  I 
have  got  so  well  established  in  my  profession,  that  from 
henceforward  I  cannot  fail  to  make  money  very  fast. 
Indeed  I  do  not  know  another  lawyer  in  the  State,  whose 
business  is,  at  present,  better  than  my  own."  In  February, 
1834,  he  writes  to  his  elder  sister  :  "  I  am  so  pressed  with 
business  that  I  can  hardly  spare  the  five  minutes,  which  I 
have  absolutely  stolen  from  my  professional  engagements,  for 
the  purpose  of  redeeming  my  promise  of  writing  you  once  a 
month — a  promise  which  it  always  affords  me  gratification 
to  perform,  and  which,  I  believe,  I  have  not  yet  vio 
lated." 

The  following  letters  will  show  the  character  of  much  of 
his  practice  and  the  undiminished  strength  of  his  home 
affections. 

TO     HIS     MOTHER. 

VICKSBURO,  March  28,  1884. 

MY  DEAR  MOTHER: — 

I  again  sit  down,  as  I  have  so  often  done  before, 
to  communicate  with  those  whom  neither  time  nor  distance  has 
rendered  less  dear  to  me.  On  the  contrary,  if  such  a  thing  were 
possible,  long  absence  has  rendered  my  affection  for  home,  and 
those  whom  it  contains,  even  stronger  than  it  was  when  I  first 
left  you. 

When  I  wrote  last  I  believe  I  told  you  that  I  should  probably 
start  for  home  in  June  ;  but  I  shall  be  disappointed.  I  have 
some  business  placed  in  my  hands,  by  which  I  fe«l  almost  cer 
tain  of  making  three  or  four  thousand  dollars  and  perhaps  mpre. 
But  I  am  required,  for  the  purpose  of  attending  to  it,  to  remain 


LETTERS    HOME.  139 

here  till  the  middle  or,  perhaps,  the  latter  part  of  summer.  The 
business  is  this : — Some  gentlemen  of  this  place  have  a  claim  to 
a  portion  of  this  town,  and  the  property  to  which  they  lay 
claim  is  of  very  great  value.  They  have  employed  me  to  inves 
tigate  the  case,  and  I  have  not  the  slightest  doubt  of  their  suc 
cess.  Much,  therefore,  as  I  wish  to  be  with  you,  my  duty  and 
my  very  love  for  you  all,  will  not  permit  me  to  throw  away  a 
speculation  which  bids  fair  to  be  so  profitable. 

My  business  generally  is  very  flourishing,  and  continually  in 
creasing.  I  have  nothing  new  to  tell  you.  The  times  here  are 
very  bad.  The  mad  course  of  the  President  has  caused  more  ruin 
in  the  country  than  was  ever  known  before.  Money,  at  present, 
seems  to  have  taken  to  itself  wings,  and  unless  there  is  some 
change  shortly,  two-thirds  of  the  people  of  this  country  will 
fail.  I  am  very  sorry  to  see  it,  though  it  will  make  plenty  of 
fork  for  the  lawyers.  My  love  to  you  all. 

Your  affectionate  son, 

S.  S.  PBENTISS. 


TO     THE    SAME. 

VICKSBURO,  May  22, 1884. 

MY  DEAB  MOTHEE: — 

I  am  in  debt  two  letters — one  to  Abby  and  one  to 
Anna — but  I  know  I  am  dealing  with  kind  creditors,  and  consi 
dering  I  have  been  heretofore  so  punctual,  I  think  I  may  risk 
throwing  myself  upon  their  mercy  for  this  time.  The  fact  is,  I 
have  for  the  last  three  or  four  weeks  been  so  laboriously 
employed  in  business  that,  though  I  cannot  say  I  have  not  had 
time  to  write,  yet  my  mind  has  not  been  in  a  situation  to  com 
mune  with  home  and  my  friends ;  and  I  hate  to  write  when  I 
have  not  time  to  sit  down  and  enjoy  the  luxury  of  thinking 
about  you  all  as  long  as  I  please. 

For  the  last  week,  among  other  important  business,  I  have 
been  defending  a  man  charged  with  murder;  and  after  a  long 
and  laborious  trial,  succeeded  in  acquitting  him.  To-morrow  I 
have  to  start  to  a  corrt  eighty  miles  in  the  interior,  for  the  pur- 


140  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

pose  of  defending  a  man  in  another  case  of  murder.  I  just 
received  the  letter  requesting  me  to  come  and  defend  him;  and 
as  I  shall  be  gone  at  least  a  week,  I  have  sat  down  to  write 
(though  it  is  now  twelve  o'clock  at  night),  lest  you  should 
think  I  had  begun  to  forget  you.  I  have  been  employed,  in  the 
last  six  months,  in  a  good  many  cases  where  men  were  tried  for 
their  lives,  and  so  far  have  been  always  successful.  This  has 
given  me  some  little  reputation  in  such  matters  ;  and  now  there 
is  hardly  a  murder  or  anything  of  the  kind  takes  place  about 
here  (and  they  occur  very  often),  but  I  am  employed  on  one 
side  or  the  other. 

I  regret  to  hear  from  Anna's  letter,  that  G.'s  health  is  bad. 
I  think  he  has  acted  very  wisely  in  quitting  his  studies  for  a 
while,  and  trying  the  effects  of  a  trip  at  sea;  I  trust  it  will  have 
tlie  desired  effect.  G/s  constitution  used  to  be  good,  and  I 
cannot  suppose  that  his  illness  will  amount  to  anything  more 
than  a  temporary  indisposition. 

Tell  the  girls  I  thank  them  very  much  for  their  kind  letters; 
and  trust  they  will  continue  to  write  often.     I  have  not  heard 
from  W.  for  some  time.     Not  a  word  from  S. ;  where  can  he 
be  ?    My  kindest  and  best  love  love  to  you  all, 
Your  affectionate  son, 

S.  S.  PEENTISS. 


TO     HIS     SI8TEE     ABBY. 

YICKSBURO,  July  4, 1834. 

DKAE  SISTEE  ABBY  : — 

I  have  just  received  your  letter,  and  think  I  cannot 
spend  a  part  of  the  Fourth  of  July  better  than  in  answering  it. 
I  regret  very  much  the  misfortune  which  has  befallen  our  poor 

little  M in  the  loss  of  one  of  her  eyes,  which  you  mention 

in  vour  letter.  It  seems  as  if  the  poor  girl  was  born  for  misfor 
tune.  This  additional  one  will  only  render  it  the  more  incum 
bent  upon  us  all  to  be  kind  to  her.  I  have  been  in  excellent 
health  since  I  wrote  last,  and  apprehend  no  danger  from  sickness 
this  summer.  We  have  had  no  cholera  yet  at  Vieksbuig,  and  / 


LETTERS    HOME.  141 

trust  shall  escape  it  for  this  season.  It  prevailed  a  little  upon 
the  river,  on  the  steanboats,  but  at  present,  I  believe,  has  pretty 
much  ceased.  I  told  you,  in  one  of  my  former  letters,  that  I 
should  be  detained  here  till  August,  on  some  important  business 
in  which  I  had  become  engaged.  I  fear  that  it  will  detain  me 
even  later  than  that,  and  should  it  do  so,  it  is  not  impossible  that 
I  may  again  suffer  the  cruel  disappointment  of  being  compelled 
to  defer  my  visit  home.  The  business  I  allude  to,  is  of  too  much 
importance  to  admit  of  any  neglect.  I  believe  I  explained  the 
nature  of  it  in  one  of  my  former  letters.  I  have  no  doubt  I 
shall  make  by  it  three  or  four  thousand  dollars.  I  still  hope  I 
may  so  arrange  the  business,  that  I  can  leave  the  first  of  August; 
but  should  I  be  detained  beyond  that  time,  I  shall  be  compelled 
to  postpone  my  visit  till  the  ensuing  spring.  There  has  not,  since 
I  left  home,  been  a  summer  so  important  to  my  interests  as  the 
present ;  and  the  very  love  and  affection  which  I  bear  you  all, 
may  compel  me  to  forego  the  pleasure  of  seeing  you  this  summer, 
for  the  more  important  pleasure  of  making  myself  able  to  render 
you  some  assistance.  I  know  it  will  be  a  severe  disappointment 
to  you  all,  and  especially  to  mother,  should  I  again  fail  in  my 
promised  visit.  But  if  I  disappoint  you  once  more,  you  must 
do  me  the  justice  to  believe  it  will  be  as  painful  to  me  as  it  can 
possibly  be  to  you,  and  that  nothing  but  absolute  necessity  shall 
prevent  me  from  coming. 

Pray  do  not  forget  to  write  often ;  and  with  my  Uest  love  to 
you  all,  believe  me, 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

SEARGENT. 


TO     HIS    MOTHER    AND    8ISTEE8. 

VICKSBURG,  August  23, 1834. 
MY  DEAR  MOTHER  AND  SISTERS  : — 

I  suppose,  upon  seeing  a  letter  dated  as  late  as 
this,  at  Vicksburg,  it  will  be  almost  unnecessary  for  me  to  say 
that  I  shall  i.ot  embrace  my  dear  mother  and  my  pretty  sisters 
this  summer.  I  did  hope,  notwithstanding  the  detention  which 


142  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

I  informed  you  of  in  my  previous  letters,  that  I  still  would  be 
able  to  steal  away  a  couple  of  months  this  fall,  and  redeem  the 
promise,  which  I  have  broken  so  often  that  I  presume  by  this 
time  it  has  become -worthless.  But  in  addition  to  the  business 
concerning  which  I  have  already  informed  you,  there  has  been 
an  alteration  in  the  time  of  holding  several  of  the  most  important 
courts,  at  which  my  engagements  require  my  personal  attendance. 
I  start  out  to  attend  them  in  about  ten  days,  so  that  you  will 
perceive  at  once  the  impossibility  of  my  coming  home  this  fall. 
I  will  not  ask  you  to  be  confident  that  I  shall  come  next  year, 
but  I  feel  confident  myself  that  I  shall.  This  much  I  do  most 
solemnly  promise,  that  I  will  make  all  my  arrangements  in  busi 
ness,  with  an  eye  to  doing  so,  and  nothing  but  inevitable  accident 
shall  prevent  it. 

Since  I  have  been  in  this  country,  there  has  not  been  a  year 
in  which  I  could  not  have  left  the  State  with  less  sacrifice  than 
during  the  present.  I  know  it  will  be  gratifying  for  you  to  learn, 
that  I  feel  almost  confident  of  being  able,  hereafter,  to  make  at 
least  three  thousand  dollars  a  year.  This  year  I  have  attended 
to  more  business,  than  all  the  time  I  have  been  practising  before. 
I  have,  in  particular,  engaged  in  a  great  many  capital  cases, 
where  men  have  been  tried  for  murder  and  other  enormous 
crimes,  and  I  have  been  very  successful.  Heretofore,  I  have 
made  little  money,  and  even  now,  the  fees  for  most  of  my 
business  are  still  owing  to  me.  I  hope  hereafter  to  be  able  to  do 
more  for  those  I  love.  If  my  views  are  not  too  sanguine,  I  shall 
be  able  to  gratify  myself  by  so  doing. 

I  know  Anna  will  laugh  at  me  very  heartily,  when  I  tell  her 
that  I  have  been  strongly  solicited  by  some  of  the  most  influ 
ential  men  in  the  State,  to  become  a  candidate  for  Congress, 
and,  further,  that  I  believe,  if  I  pleased,  I  could  be  elected.  But 
I  have  refused  whhout  hesitation.  I  have  stated  to  you  my 
situation  here,  no*,  by  way  of  boasting,  but  because  I  knew  it 
would  gratify  you,  and  because  it  might  serve  as  some  additional 
re.^on  why  I  should  not  sacrifice  my  prospects,  even  to  the 
pleasure  of  visiting  home  this  summer. 

I  received  Anna's  agreeable  letter  yesterday,  and  thank  he* 


LETTERS    HOME.  143 

for  it.  The  only  complaint  I  have  to  make  is,  that  she  does  not 
write  often  enough,  nor  does  Abby,  nor  do  you,  my  dear  mother. 
You  cannot  tell  how  gratified  I  was  to  hear  that  S.  was  in  the 
land  of  the  living.  The  moment  I  can  get  two  weeks  to  spare, 
I  shall  go  to  Mobile,  and  find  him  out.  My  love  to  you  all. 
Your  affectionate 

SEARGENT. 


TO     HIS     SISTER     ABBY. 

VICKSBURG,  December  10, 1834. 

DEAR  SISTER  ABBY  : — 

Most  of  my  letters  of  late  have  commenced  with 
apologies  for  my  negligence  in  not  writing  more  regularly.  But 
really  it  is  now  impossible  for  me  to  write  as  regularly  as  I  used 
to  do.  My  business  compels  me  to  be  absent  from  Vicksburg  at 
least  half  my  time,  and  this  in  periods  of  a  month  or  two  months 
together.  While  away  from  Vicksburg,  I  find  it  out  of  the 
question  to  sit  down  with  any  pleasure  for  the  purpose  of  com 
muning  with  those  I  love.  Surrounded,  during  the  whole  time 
of  my  absence,  by  noisy  and  boisterous  people — overwhelmed 
and  perplexed  by  complicated  business — subject  every  moment 
to  be  intruded  upon  by  the  calls  of  clients — I  become  so  vexed 
and  harassed,  that  when  I  return  to  Vicksburg  and  find  a  letter 
from  home,  and  then  sit  quietly  down  in  my  office  to  answer  it, 
as  I  arn  now  doing,  it  seems  as  if  I  had  gotten  into  a  new  world. 
Indeed  it  is  the  greatest  luxury  I  enjoy. 

I  found  on  my  return  from  court,  a  day  or  two  since,  a  letter 
from  you  and  also  one  from  Anna.  I  am  much  pleased  that  you 
are  spending  the  winter  in  New  York.  It  will  afford  you  so 

much  gratification,  and  W and  A ,  too.     But  more  than 

all,  I  am  pleased  with  the  advantages  which  you  will  necessarily 
derive  from  a  residence  there  for  a  few  months.  It  will  enable 
you  to  see  and  know  more  of  the  world  than  years  of  residence 
at  home ;  and  such  knowledge  is  valuable.  It  opens  new  sub 
jects  for  reflection,  and  still  more,  teaches  one  to  compare  the 
pleasures  arising  from  intercourse  with  fashionable  society — 


144  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

•with  strangers  who  care  nothing  about  you — and  those  arising 
from  the  exercise  of  the  duties  and  affections,  which  flourish 
only  among  those  who  gather  round  the  same  fireside,  and 
form  part  of  the  same  domestic  circle.  If  I  know  anything  of 
the  disposition  and  character  of  my  sweet  arid  gentle  sister 
Abby,  she  will  enjoy  fully  all  that  presents  itself  worth  her 
observation,  during  her  stay  in  the  great  city,  but  will  return 
to  the  little  village  with  more  pleasure  than  she'leftit;  there 
to  resume  her  former  occupation  of  relieving  the  cares,  and 
increasing  the  enjoyments,  of  one  of  the  best  mothers  in  the 
world  :  and  no  one  is  better  fitted  for  such  an  occupation. 

Permit  me  to  act  as  your  banker ;  and  accept  the  within  note 
to  defray  such  little  expenses  as  you  may  incur ;  it  is  from  your 
brother.  I  thank  you  most  kindly  for  your  offer  to  make  up 
some  linen  for  me,  but  I  cannot  permit  it.  I  had  rather  you 
would  spend  your  time  for  your  own  advantage  and  not  for 
mine.  When  you  have  nothing  else  to  do,  read,  write,  take 
lessons  in  some  accomplishment  which  you  wish  to  acquire.  If 
Miss  Augusta  is  the  same  sprightly  and  lively  young  lady  I  once 
knew,  she  will  not  hesitate  to  join  you.  When  you  return 
home  again,  I  will  avail  myself  of  your  kindness. 

My  love  to  William  and  his  family,  and  believe  me  ever 
Your  most  affectionate  brother, 

SEAKGENT. 

His  journeys  to  attend  the  various  courts  in  the  interior 
of  the  State,  referred  to  in  the  preceding  letters,  were 
generally  made  on  horseback.  They  still  live  in  the  mem 
ory  of  his  brethren  of  the  bar,  who  were  wont  to  be  his 
companions,  among  their  most  delightful  recollections  of 
him.  He  was,  as  has  been  said,  a  great  lover  of  nature  ; 
and  although  the  scenery  of  Mississippi  has  little  of  the 
varied  beauty  and  grandeur  which  mark  the  landscapes 
of  New  England,  there  was  yet  much  in  it  well  fitted  to 
excite  his  imagination.  Its  gorgeous  flora, — the  wild  splen 
dor  of  its  vegetation — the  colossal  forms  and  sombre  aspect 


RIDING    THE    CIRCUIT. 


H5 


of  its  aboriginal  forests,  still  inhabited  by  the  red  man, 
abounding  in  all  sor.ts  of  game,  and  haunted  by  savage 
beasts— the  lonely  roads,  traversing  sometimes  an  old 
Indian  trail,  and  memorable  for  tales  of  robbery,  murder,  or 
other  fearful  tragedies— the  dark  rivers  and  sluggish  lakes, 
filled  with  alligators,  or  suddenly  crossed  by  a  flock  of 
noble  deer — these  things  wrought  upon  his  fancy  in  a  sin 
gular  manner.*  It  was  during  these  long  rides  through 
the  forest,  that  he  was  most  apt  to  be  in  the  mood  for  dis 
closing  the  stores  of  his  wonderful  memory,  or  discussing 
high  questions  of  philosophy,  government,  and  human 

destiny. 

One  of  his  friends,  referring  to  this  point,   writes:   "To 

him 

*  A  thing  of  beauty  was  a  joy  for  ever.' 

His  memory  was  extraordinary.  Fused  by  his  glowing 
enthusiasm,  it  received  every  impression  made  on  it,  deeply 
and  indelibly.  I  remember  having  once  ridden  with  him  to 
a  neighboring  county  court,  and  during  the  jaunty  conver 
sations  usually  attending  such  journeys  ( there  were  no 
railroads  in  those  days)  I  would  sometimes  recite  a  line 
from  Byron,  and  he  would  immediately  take  up  the  stanza 
and  repeat  whole  successive  pages,  without  hesitation.  The 
Siege  of  Corinth  will  never  be  forgotten  by  those,  who  were 
so  fortunate  as  to  be  present  on  those  few  occasions  when, 
among  his  friends,  he  would  recite  it  with  a  look  and  tone, 
accent,  and  gesture  truly  electric."  f 

"Your  brother  was  a  bold  and  daring  thinker.     As  we 
have  rode  together  from  one  court  to  another,  along  lonely 

*  The  reader  will  find  some  graphic  descriptions  of  the  scenery  and  rural  sports 
of  the  Southwest  in  The  Hive  of  the  Bee-Hunter,  by  T.  B.  Thorpe,  Esq.    The  picca 
entitled  Wild  Turkey  Hunting,  is  a  delightful  specimen  of  word-painting, 
t  Jno.  M.  Chilton,  tisq. 

7 


146  1IEMUR    OF    S.    S.    TKEXT13S. 

and  ^unfrequented  roads,  I  have  sometimes  known  him  to 
push  his  thoughts,  as  it  seemed  to  me,  to  the  outermost  verge 
of  human  conception,  and  then  settle  for  many  minntes,  into 
painful  and  sickly  melancholy,  because  his  intellect  could 
not  peer  beyond  the  field  of  mortal  vision.  His  melancholy 
never  lasted  long,  but  it  was  intense  while  it  was  upon  him. 
Fortunately  nature  had  given  him  such  animal  spirits  as  to 
prevent  the  possibility  of  his  becoming  a  misanthrope,  or  he, 
the  most  joyous  being  that  I  ever  met,  might  have  sunk  into  a 
moody  and  miserable  man."  * 

He  was  at  this  time  in  the  very  heyday  of  jovial  good 
nature.  Everybody  liked  him,  and  he  was  disposed  to  like 
everybody  in  return.  The  following  anecdote  will  illustrate 
his  popularity,  and  his  pleasant  temper,  while  it  also  throws 
light  upon  the  character  of  the  times. 

"  On  one  occasion  he  was   opposed  before  Judge  Scott 

(now  residing  in  Texas),  by  George  C ,  afterwards,  for 

many  years,  Judge  of  the  Circuit  Court,  for  the  district, 
comprising  Yicksburg  ;  and  in  the  course  of  the  trial,  an 
altercation  ensued,  which  resulted  in  blows.  The  Judge 
immediately  fined  both  combatants,  and  ordered  them  to  be 
imprisoned  for  twenty-four  hours  in  the  county  jail.  Mr. 

C ,  attempted  by  excuses  to  get  off,  but  Mr.  Prentiss 

(who  by  the  way  had  been  knocked  down),  rose  quite  alertly, 
and  acknowledging  to  the  Court  the  justice  of  the  sen 
tence,  added,  with  significant  drollery,  that  before  it 
was  carried  into  execution,  he  had  one  request  to  make. 
The  Court  granted  permission  with  twhkling  eye  and  ill- 
concealed  mirth. 

"  May  it  please  your  Honor/'  said  Mr.  Prentiss,  "  I  have 
nothing  to  say  against    the    sentence  just   pronounced.     I 


*  Judge  Wilkinson. 


EULOGY"    ON*    LAFAYETTE.  14 1 

have  besn  guilty  of  unintentional  disrespect  to  the  Court, 
as  well  as  great  want  of  sell-respect.  But — but  (and  here 
he  affected  a  degree  of  naivete  and  sincerity,  that  for  the 
moment  deceived  every  one),  I  hope  your  Honor  will  not 
disgrace  me  by  putting  me  in  the  same  cell  with  Georgf 

C I"  The  bystanders  and  bar  were,  of  course,  con 

vulsed  with  laughter,  and  the  judge  himself  could  onl) 
restrain  his  risibles  long  enough  to  order  the  sheriff 
to  adjourn  the  court.  Both  were  conducted  to  their 
respective  cells.  On  that  night  all  the  members  of  the  bar, 
and  many  of  the  citizens,  repaired  to  Mr.  P.'s  cell,  where 
they  spent  the  night  in  partaking  of  a  sumptuous  supper, 
and  enjoying  the  exhaustless  good  humor  of  their  captive 
guest.  On  the  next  day,  a  multitude  guarded  him  from  his 
prison  to  the  court-house,  and  in  the  bold  flight  of  the 
liberated  eagle,  every  one  soon  forgot  his  temporary  cap 
tivity."  * 

In  the  month  of  August,  of  this  year,  he  delivered  an 
address  at  Jackson,  the  capital  of  the  State,  in  memory  of 
Lafayette.  It  is  evidently  a  hasty  effusion,  and  is  said  to 
have  been  written,  at  a  single  sitting,  a  night  or  two  before 
its  delivery.  Although  it  may  now  sound  somewhat  extra 
vagant,  even  for  a  eulogy,  it  only  echoed  the  sentiment 
which  pervaded  the  entire  nation,  when  the  news  came  that 
their  beloved  friend  and  benefactor  was  no  more.  In  one 
of  his  college  letters,  he  speaks  of  having  seen  and  shaken 
hamls  with  Lafayette,  when  the  latter  visited  Portland. 

The  following  extracts  contain  the  substance  of  the 
address  : — 

Death,  who  knocks  with  equal  hand  at  the  door  of  the  cottage 
and  the  palace  gate,  has  been  busy  at  his  appointed  work. 
Mourning  pie  vails  throughout  the  land,  and  the  countenances 


*John  M.  Chilton,  Esq. 


148  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

of  all  are  shrouded  in  the  mantle  of  regret.  Far  across  the 
will  Atlantic,  amid  the  pleasant  vineyards,  in  the  sunny  land  of 
France — there,  too,  is  mourning;  and  the  weeds  of  sorrow  are 
alike  worn  by  prince  and  peasant.  And  against  whom  has 
the  monarch  of  the  tomb  turned  his  remorseless  dart,  that 
such  wide-spread  sorrow  should  prevail  ?  Hark !  and  the  ago 
nized  voice  of  Freedom,  weeping  for  her  favorite  son,  will  tell 
you,  in  strains  sadder  than  those  with  which  she  shrieked  at 
Kosciusko's  fall,  that  LAFAYETTE — the  gallant  and  the  good — 
has  ceased  to  live. 

The  friend  and  companion  of  Washington  is  no  more!  He 
who  taught  the  eagle  of  our  country,  while  yet  unileclged,  to 
plume  his  young  wing,  and  mate  his  talons  with  the  lion's 
strength,  has  taken  his  flight  far  beyond  the  stars,  beneath 
whose  influence  he  fought  so  well.  Lafayette  is  dead !  The 
gallant  ship,  whose  pennon  has  so  often  bravely  streamed 
above  the  roar  of  battle  and  the  tempest's  rage,  has  at  length 
gone  slowly  down  in  the  still  and-  quiet  waters.  Well  mightest 
thou,  0  Death!  now  recline  beneath  the  laurels  thou  hast  won, 
and  for  a  while  forego  thy  relentless  task :  for  never,  since,  as 
the  grim  messenger  of  Almighty  vengeance,  thou  earnest  into 
this  world,  did  a  more  generous  heart  cease  to  heave  beneath 
thy  chilling  touch,  and  never  will  thy  insatiable  dart  be  hurled 
against  a  nobler  breast.  Who  does  not  feel,  at  the  mournful 
intelligence,  as  if  he  had  lost  something  cheering  from  his  own 
path  through  life  :  as  if  some  bright  star,  at  which  he  had  been 
accustomed  frequently  and  fondly  to  gaze,  had  been  suddenly 
extinguis-hed  in  the  firmament? 

The  page  of  history  abounds  with  those  who  have  struggled 
forth  from  the  nameless  crowd,  and,  standing  forward  in  the 
front  ranks,  challenged  the  notice  of  their  fellow-men :  but 
when,  in  obedience  to  their  bold  demands,  we  examine  their 
claims  to  our  admiration,  how  seldom  do  we  find  aught  that 
excites  our  respect  or  commands  our  veneration  ! 

With  wl.at  pleasure  do  we  turn  from  the  contemplation  of  the 
Caesars  and  Napoleons  of  the  human  rnce,  to  meditate  upon  the 
character  of  Lafayette !  We  feel  proud  that  we  belong  to 


EULOJY    ON    LAFAYETTE.  149 

the  same  species :  we  feel  proud  that  \ve  live  in  the  same  age: 
and  we  feel  still  more  proud,  that  our  own  country  drew  forth 
and  nurtured  those  generous  virtues,  whi^h  went  to  form  a 
character,  that,  for  love  of  liberty,  romantic  chivalry,  unbounded 
generosity,  and  unwavering  integrity,  has  never  had  a  parallel. 

The  history  of  this  wonderful  man  is  engraved  upon  the 
memory  of  every  American.  I  shall  only  advert  to  such  por 
tions  of  it  as  will  best  tend  to  illustrate  his  character.  In  1777, 
our  fathers  were  engaged  in  rescuing  from  the  fangs  of  tlio 
British  lion,  the  rights  which  their  sons  are  now  enjoying.  It 
was  the  gloomiest  period  of  the  Revolutionary  struggle.  Our 
army  was  feeble  and  unprovided  ;  an  insolent  and  victorious 
enemy  was  pressing  hard  upon  them  ;  despondency  hfid  spread 
through  their  ranks.  It  seemed  as  if  the  last  hope  of  Freedom 
was  gone.  Deep  gloom  had  settled  over  the  whole  country ; 
and  men  looked  with  a  despairing  aspect  upon  the  "issue  of  a 
contest,  which  their  best  wishes  could  not  flatter  them  was 
doubtful.  It  was  at  this  critical  period  that  their  hopes  were 
renova'ed  and  their  spirits  roused,  by  the  cheering  intelligence 
that  at  Charleston,  in  the  State  of  South  Carolina,  had  just 
arrived  a  gallant  French  nobleman,  of  high  rank  and  immense 
wealth,  eager  to  embark  his  person  and  his  fortunes  in  the 
sacred  cause  of  Liberty!  New  impulse  was  given  to  the  energies 
of  our  dispirited  troops.  As  the  first  ray  of  morning  breaks 
upon  the  benighted  and  tempest-tossed  mariner,  so  did  this 
timely  assistance  cheer  the  hearts  of  the  war-worn  and  almost 
despairing  soldiers  of  Freedom.  The  enthusiastic  Frenchman, 
though  but  a  beardless  youth,  was  immediately  taken  to  the 
affections  and  the  confidence  of  Washington.  Soon,  too,  did  he 
flesh  his  maiden  sword  upon  his  hereditary  foes,  and  proved, 
upon  the  field  of  Brandywine,  that  his  blood  flowed  as  freely  as 
his  treasure,  in  the  cause  he  had  espoused.  That  blood  was  the 
blood  of  the  young  Lafayette  !  And  but  nineteen  summers 
had  passed  over  his  brow,  when  he  was  thus  found  fighting  side 
by  side  with  the  veteran  warriors  of  Bunker  Hill.  But  how 
came  he  here?  Born  to  a  high  name  and  a  rich  inheritance— 
educated  at  a  dissipated  and  voluptuous  court — married  to  a 


150  MEMOIR   OF   S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

young  and  beautiful  woman — how  came  he  to  break  through 
the  blandishments  of  love  and  the  temptations  of  pleasure,  and 
thus  be  found  fighting  the  battles  of  strangers,  far  away  in  the 
wilds  of  America?  It  was  because,  from  his  infancy,  there  had 
grown  up  in  his  bosom  a  passion  more  potent  than  all  others: 
and  that  passion  was  the  love  of  liberty.  A  spark  from  the  very 
altar  of  Freedom  had  fallen  upon  his  heart,  and  he  watched  and 
cherished  it  with  more  than  vestal  vigilance.  This  passionate 
love  of  liberty — this  fire  that  was  thenceforth  to  glow  unqnenched 
and  undimmed.  impelled  him  to  break  asunder  the  ties  both  of 
pleasure  and  affection.  He  had  heard  that  a  gallant  people  had 
raised  the  standard  against  oppression,  and  he  hastened  to  join 
them.  It  was  to  him  the  Crusade  of  Liberty  ;  and,  like  a  knight 
of  the  Holy  Cross,  he  enlisted  in  the  ranks  of  those  who  had 
sworn  to  rescue  her  altars  from  the  profane  touch  of  the  tyrant. 
More  genial  far  to  him  were  the  hardships,  the  dangers,  and 
the  freedom  of  the  American  wilds,  than  the  ease,  the  luxury, 
and  the  slavery  of  his  native  court.  He  exchanged  the  voice  of 
love  for  the  savage  yell  and  the  hostile  shout — the  gentle  strains 
of  tiie  harp  and  lute,  for  the  trumpet  and  drum,  and  the  still 
more  terrible  music  of  clashing  arms.  Nor  did  he  come  alone 
or  empty  handed.  The  people  in  whose  cause  he  was  about 
to  peril  his  life  and  his  fortune,  were  too  poor  to  afford  him 
even  the  means  of  conveyance,  and  his  own  court  threw  every 
obstacle  in  the  way  of  the  accomplishment  of  his  wishes.  Did 
this  damp  his  ardor?  Did  this  chill  his  generous  aspiration? 
No;  they  added  new  vigor  to  each.  "I  will  fit  out  a  vessel 
myself!"  exclaimed  the  youthful  enthusiast.  And  in  spite  of  the 
sneers  of  the  young  and  the  cautions  of  the  old,  the  gallant  boy 
redeemed  his  pledge.  Soon  a  proud  ship  was  seen  flying  "  fast 
and  falcon-like"  across  the  wide  Atlantic.  She  landed  on 
our  shores  like  a  bird  of  promise ;  and  by  her  present  aid,  and 
hopes  of  future  succor,  infused  new  vigor  into  our  almost  palsied 
arms. 

Such  was  the  commencement  of  a  career,  destined  to  be  more 
brilliant  than  aught  of  which  we  read  in  tale  or  history,  realizing 
the  wildest  wishes  of  youthful  enthusiasm,  and  proving  that 


EULOGY    OX    LAFAYETTE.  151 

the  romance  of  real  life  often  exceeds  the  strangest  fictions  of 
the  imagination. 

From  the  momett  of  joining  our  ranks,  the  young  hero 
became  the  pride  and  the  boast  of  the  whole  army.  He  won 
the  affections  of  the  stern-browed  and  iron-souled  warriors  of 
New  England,  and  was  received  with  open  arms  by  the  warm 
hearted  and  chivalric  sons  of  the  South.  Though  the  down  of 
manhood  had  scarcely  begun  to  spring  upon  his  cheek,  yet  were 
his  counsels  eagerly  listened  to  by  the  hoary  leaders  and  the 
scarred  veterans  of  the  war.  On  the  field  of  battle,  he  was 
impetuous  and  brave;  in  the  council,  the  wisdom  of  Nestor 
flowed  from  his  lips. 

It  is  not  my  intention,  nor  will  the  present  occasion  allow,  to 
go  into  a  detailed  account  of  the  services  rendered  by  Lafay 
ette  to  the  country  of  his  adoption.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that  through 
out  the  Revolutionary  struggle,  with  unchanged  fidelity  and 
undeviating  devotion,  he  continued  to  pour  forth  his  blood 
and  his  treasure  in  the  sacred  cause  he  had  espoused;  and  when 
at  length,  full  of  honors,  without  one  single  stain  upon  his 
bright  escutcheon,  he  returned  to  his  native  land,  the  voices  of 
millions  of  freemen  were  united  in  invoking  the  blessings  of 
Heaven  upon  his  head.  From  thenceforth  a  halo  of  glory  sur 
rounded  him,  and  he  was  hailed  by  all  the  world  as  the  Apostle 
of  Liberty.  And  well  did  he  deserve  the  title !  For  not  more 
truly  does  the  needle  point  to  the  pole,  than  did  all  his  feelings 
point  to  the  great  principles  of  civil  freedom. 

During  the  sanguinary  scenes  of  the  French  Revolution,  when 
the  people  had  quaffed  so  deeply  at  the  fountain  of  liberty, 
that  they  became  drunk  and  frenzied  with  the  unusual  draughts, 
Lafayette  alone  lost  not  his  equanimity.  He  alone  dared  to 
oppose  the  wild  excesses  of  the  Jacobins:  and  though  he  was 
unable  entirely  to  stem  the  maddened  torrent,  which  seemed  let 
loose  from  hell  itself,  yet  many  are  the  thanks  due  to  his  unwea 
ried  exertions  to  restrain  that  torrent  within  the  banks  of  law 
and  civil  order.  Throughout  those  troublesome  times,  he  waa 
found  at  his  post,  by  the  side  of  the  constitution  and  the  laws ; 
and  when  at  length  the  whole  foundations  of  society  were 


152  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

broken  up,  and  the  wild  current  of  licentiousness  and  crime 
swept  him  an  exile  to  a  foreign  land,  still  did  lie  hold  fast  his 
integrity.  In  the  gloomy  dungeons  of  Olmutz,  the  flame  of 
patriotism  glowed  as  brightly  and  as  warmly  in  his  breast,  a.* 
ever  it.  did  when  fanned  by  the  free  breezes  of  the  mountains. 

The  dungeons  of  Olmutz!  What  associations  are  connected 
with  the  name!  They  form  a  part  of  the  romance  of  history. 
For  five  long  years  was  the  Friend  of  Liberty  immured  in  the 
prison  of  a  tyrant.  In  vain  did  the  civilized  world  demand  his 
release.  But  what  nations  could  not  effect,  came  near  being 
accomplished  by  the  devoted  exertions  of  two  chivalric  voung 
men;  and  one  of  them  was  a  South  Carolinian,  whose  father 
had  extended  the  hospitality  of  his  house  to  Lafayette,  when, 
on  his  first  visit  to  America,  he  landed  in  the  city  of 
Charleston.  Strange,  that  after  the  lapse  of  so  many  years,  the 
little  child  who  had  then  climbed  upon  his  knee,  should  now  be 
perilling  life  for  his  rescue!  There  is  nothing  in  history  to 
compare  with  this  romantic  episode  of  real  life — unless,  perhaps, 
the  story  of  the  minstrel  Iriend  of  the  lion-hearted  Richard, 
wandering  through  those  very  dominions,  tuning  his  harp  be 
neath  every  fortress,  till  at  length  his  strains  were  answered, 
and  the  prison  of  the  royal  Crusader  discovered.* 

But  the  doors  of  the  Austrian  dungeon  were  at  length  thrown 
open,  and  Lafayette  returned  to  France.  Great  changes,  how 
ever,  had  taken  place  in  his  absence.  The  flood  of  the  lie  volu 
tion  had  subsided.  The  tempest  of  popular  commotion  had 
blown  over,  leaving  many  and  fearful  evidences  of  its  terrible 
fury;  and  the  star  of  the  Child  of  Destiny  had  now  become  lord 
of  the  ascendant.  Small  was  the  sympathy  between  the  selri:-h 
and  ambitious  Napoleon,  and  Lafayette,  the  patriot  and  philan 
thropist.  They  could  no  more  mingle,  than  the  pure  lights  of 
Heaven  and  the  unholy  fires  of  hell.  Lafayette  refused  with 


*  The  young  Carolinian  was  Col.  Francis  K.  Huger,  who  died  February,  1S55, 
at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-two.  His  companion  was  Dr.  Eric  Bollman,  of 
Philadelphia.  They  both  suffered  i  jng  incarceration  in  consequence  of  thnit 
generous  adventure. — ED. 


EULOGY    ON    LAFAYETTE. 


153 


ecorn  the  dignities  proffered  by  the  First  Consul.  Tilled  with 
virtuous  indignation  at  his  country's  fate,  he  retired  from  the 
capital ;  and  devoting  himself  a  while  to  the  pursuits  of  private 
life,  awaited  the  return  of  better  times. 

And  here  we  cannot  frit  pause  for  a  moment  to  compare  these 
two  wonderful  men,  belonging  to  the  same  age  and  to  the  same 
nation-Napoleon    and    Lafayette.      Their    names    excite    no 
kindred  emotions ;    their  fates  no  kindred  sympathies.     Napo 
leon—the  child  of  destiny— the  thunderbolt  of  war— the  victor 
in  a  hundred  battles— the  dispenser  of  thrones  and  dominions  :— 
he  who  scaled  the  Alps,  and  reclined  beneath  the  pyramids ; 
whose  word  was  fate,  and  whose  wish  was  law.     Lafayette— 
the  volunteer  of  Freedom— the  advocate  of  human  rights— the 
defender  of  civil  liberty— the  patriot,  the  philanthropist— the  be 
loved  of  the  good  and  the  free.     Napoleon— the  vanquished 
warrior,  ignobly  flying  from  the  field  of  Waterloo :  the  wild 
beast,  ravaging  all  Europe  in  his  wrath,  hunted  down  by  the 
banded  and  affrighted  nations,  and  caged  far  away  upon  an 
ocean-girded  rock :— Lafayette— a  watch-word  by  which  men 
excite  each  other  to  deeds  of  worth  and  noble  daring;  whose 
home  has  become  the  Mecca  of  freedom,  towards  which  the 
pilgrims  of  Liberty  turn  their  eyes  from  every  quarter  of  tfie 
globe.     Napoleon  was  the  red  and  fiery  comet,  shooting  wildly 
through  the  realms  of  space,  and  scattering  terror  and  pestilence 
among  the    nations :— Lafayette    was   the   pure  and    brilliant 
planet,  beneath  whose  grateful  beams  the  mariner  directs  his 
barque,  and  the  shepherd  tends  his  flocks.     Napoleon  died,  and 
a  few  old  warriors— the  scattered  relics  of  Marengo  and  of 
Austerlitz— bewailed  their  chief :— Lafayette  is  dead— and  the 
tears  of  a  civilized  world  attest  how  deep  is  the  mourning  for 
his  loss.     Such  is,  and  always  will  be  the  difference  of  feeling 
towards  a  benefactor  and  a  conqueror  of  the  human  race. 

In  1824,  on  Sunday,  a  single  ship  furled  her  snowy  sails  in 
the  harbor  of  New  York.  Scarcely  had  her  prow  touched  the 
shore,  when  a  murmur  was  heard  among  the  multitude,  which 
gradually  deepened  into  a  mighty  shout ;  and  that  shout  was  a 
shout  of  joy.  Again  and  again  were  the  heavens  rent  with  the 

7* 


MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PKENH3S. 


inspiring  sound.     Nor  did  it  cease;    for  the  loud  strain  was 
carried  from  city  to  city,  and  from  State  to  State,  till  not  a 
tongue  was  silent  throughout  this  wide  Republic,  from  the  lisp 
ing  infant  to  the  tremulous  old  man.     All  were  united  in  one 
wild  shout  of  gratulation.     The  voices  of  more  than  ten  millions 
of  freemen  gushed  up  towards  the  sky,  and  broke  the  stillness  of 
its  silent  depths.     But  one  note,  and  but  one  tone,  went  to  form 
this  acclamation.     Up  in  those  pure  regions,  clearly  and  sweetly 
did  it  sound—  "Honor   to    Lafayette!"      u  Welcome    to    the 
Nation's  Guest!"     It   was  Lafayette,   the  war-worn   veteran, 
whose  arrival  upon  our  shores  had  caused  this  wide-spread,  this 
universal  joy.     He  came  among  us  to  behold  the  independence 
and  the  freedom  which  his  young  arm  had  so  well  assisted  in 
achieving;  and  never  before  did  eye  behold,  or  heart  of  man 
conceive,  such  homage  paid  to  virtue.     His  whole  stay  amongst 
us,  was  a  continued  triumph.     Every  day's  march  was  an  ova 
tion.     The  United  States  became  for  months  one  great  festive 
hall.     People  forgot  the  usual  occupations  of  life,  and  crowded 
to  behold  the  Benefactor  of  mankind.     The  iron-hearted,  grey- 
haired  veterans  of  the   Revolution  thronged  around   him,    to 
touch  his  hand,  to  behold  his  face,  and  to  call  down  Heaven's 
benison  upon  their  old  companion-in-arms.     Lisping  infancy  and 
garrulous  age,  beauty,  talents,  wealth  and  power—  all,  for  a 
while,  forsook  their  usual  pursuits,  and  united  to  pay  a  willing 
tribute  of  gratitude  and  welcome  to  the  Nation's  Guest.     The 
name  of  La  Fayette  was  upon  every  lip,  and  wherever  was  his 
name,  there  too  was  an  invocation  for  blessings  on  his  head. 
What  were  the  triumphs  of  the  classic  ages,  compared  with  this 
unbought  love  and  homage  of  a  mighty  people?     Take  them  in 
Rome's  best  days  —  when  the  invincible  generals  of  the  Eternal 
City  returned  from  their  foreign  conquests,  with  captive  kings 
bound  to  their  chariot  wheels,  and  the  spoils  of  nations  in  their 
train  ;   followed  by  their  stern  and  bearded  warriors,  and  sur 
rounded  by  the  interminable  multitudes  of  the  seven-hilled  city, 
shouting  a  fierce  welcome  home,  —  what  was  such  a  triumph, 
compared  with  that  of  Lafayette?     Not  a  single  city^but  a 
whole  nation,   rising  as  one  man,  and  greeting  him  with  an 


EULOGY    OX    LAFAYETTE.  155 

affectionate  embrace !  One  single  day  of  such  spontaneous 
homage,  were  worth  whole  years  of  courtly  adulation  ;  one 
hour  might  well  reward  a  man  for  a  whole  life  of  danger  and  of 
toil.  Then,  too,  the  joy  with  which  he  must  have  viewed  the 
prosperity  of  the  people  for  whom  he  had  so  heroicaly  struggled ! 
To  behold  the  nation  which  he  had  left  a^ little  child,  now  grown 
up  in  the  full  proportions  of  lusty  manhood  !  To  see  the  tender 
sapling,  which  he  had  left  with  hardly  shade  enough  to  cover 
its  own  roots,  now  waxing  into  the  sturdy  and  unwedgeable 
oak,  beneath  whose  grateful  umbrage  the  oppressed  of  all 
nations  find  shelter  and  protection!  That  oak  still  grows  on  in 
its  majestic  strength,  and  wider  and  wider  still  extend  its 
mighty  branches.  But  the  hand  that  watered  and  nourished  it, 
while  yet  a  tender  plant,  is  now  cold:  the  heart  that  watched, 
with  strong,affection,  its  early  growth,  has  ceased  to  beat. 

Virtue  forms  no  shield  to  wrard  off  the  arrows  of  death. 
Could  it  have  availed,  even  when  joined  with  the  prayers  of  a 
whole  civilized  world,  then  indeed,  this  mournful  occasion 
would  never  have  occurred ;  and  the  life  of  Lafayette  would 
have  been  as  eternal  as  his  fame.  Yet  though  he  has  passed 
from  among  us — though  that  countenance  will  no  more  be  seen, 
that  used  to  lighten  up  the  van  of  Freedom's  battles,  as  he  led 
her  eaglets  to  their  feaat — still  has  he  left  behind  his  better  part 
—the  legacy  of  his  bright  example — the  memory  of  his  deeds. 
The  lisping  infant  will  learn  to  speak  his  venerated  name.  The 
youth  of  every  cc  untry  will  be  taught  to  look  upon  his  career, 
and  follow  in  his  footsteps.  When,  hereafter,  a  gallant 
people  are  fighting  for  Freedom  against  the  oppressor,  and 
their  cause  begins  to  wane  before  the  mercenary  bands  of 
tyranny — then  will  the  name  of  Lafayette  become  a  watch 
word,  that  will  strike  with  terror  on  the  tyrant's  ear,  and  nerve 
with  redoubled  vigor  the  freeman's  arm.  At  that  name 
many  a  heart  before  unmoved,  will  wake  in  the  glorious  cause ; 
many  a  sword,  rusting  ingloriously  in  its  scabbard,  will  leap  forth 
to  battle.  And  even  amid  the  mourning  with  which  our  souls 
are  shrouded,  is  there  not  some  room  for  gratulation  ?  Our 
departed  friend  and  benefactor  has  gone  down  to  the  grave, 


156  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

peacefully  and  quietly,  at  a  good  old  age.     Ho  had  performed 
his   appointed    work.     His   virtues  were  ripe.     He   had  done 
nothing   to   sully  his  fair  fame.     No  blot  or  soil  of  envy  or 
calumny  can  now  affect  him.     His  character  will  stand  upon  the 
pages  of  history,  pure  and  unsullied  as  the  lilied  emblem  on  his 
country's  banner.     He  has  departed  from  among  us;   but  he 
has  Vecome  again  the  companion  of  Washington.     He  has  but 
left  the  friends  of  his  old  age,  to  associate  with  the  friends  of 
his  youth.     Peace  be  to  his  ashes !     Calm  and  quiet  may  they 
rest  upon  some  vine-clad  hill  of  his  own  beloved  land  !     And  it 
shall  be  called  the  Mount  Vernon  of  France.     And  let  no  cun 
ning  sculpture,  no  monumental  marble,  deface,  with  its  mock 
dignity,  the  patriot's  grave :  but  rather  let  the  unpruned  vine, 
the  wild  flower,  and  the  free  song  of  the  uncaged  bird— all  that 
speaks  of  freedom   and  of  peace,  be  gathered  round  it.     La- 
fayette    needs   no    mausoleum.     His  fame    is    mingled  with  a 
.Nation's  History.      His  epitaph  is  engraved  upon  the  hearts  of 
men. 


LETTERS    HOME. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

Letters— Voyage  to  Nerr  York— His  First  Visit  Hcrae— Letters— Serious  Accident- 
Is  elected  a  Member  of  the  Legislature— Entrance  into  Political  Life— Anecdot« 
of  a  Backwoods  Speech— Session  of  the  Legislature— Letters  Home— Visit  to 
Kentucky — His  Trips  up  and  down  the  Mississippi — Scenery  and  Scenes  on 
the  River— Vicksburg  in  1836-7. 

JET.  26-28.     1835—1837. 

S.     8.     PRENTISS     TO     HIS     MOTHER. 

VICKSBUKO,  February  7,  1835. 

MY  DEAR  MOTHER: — 

I  have  just  returned  to  Yicksburg,  after  an  absence 
of  six  weeks  on  business.  At  least  two-thirds  of  my  time  is 
spent  from  home,  in  attendance  upon  courts  and  other  profes 
sional  engagements.  This  is  the  occasion  of  the  irregularity 
which  has,  of  late,  crept  into  my  correspondence.  Though  I 
arrived  here  but  yesterday,  I  am  compelled  to  leave  again  to 
morrow,  and  shall  not  be  back  for  several  weeks.  Indeed,  my 
business  presses  me  so  much,  that  I  have  hardly  time  to  write 
the  few  lines  you  are  reading. 

Our  weather  has  been  exceedingly  warm  till  within  two  or 
three  days,  since  which  time  it  has  been  as  cold,  I  think,  as  I 
ever  knew  it  in  Maine.  Even  now,  as  I  write,  I  hear  the  earth 
bursting,  and  the  vessels  breaking  every  instant.  It  seems, 
indeed,  like  old  times.  I  think  there  is  nothing  now  within  the 
ordinary  occurrences  of  life,  that  can  prevent  my  coming  home 
next  summer.  I  shall  not  be  able  to  start  till  some  time  in  the 
Litter  part  of  June.  I  anticipate  a  degree  of  pleasure  beyond 
anything  I  have  known  for  years,  in  this  visit. 

I  am  in  a  great  hurry,  and  will  have  to  crave  your  indulgence 
for  so  poor  an  epistle.  I  know,  however,  that  I  can  rely  on  it' 


108  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S     PREMISS. 


for  you  are  well  assured  that,  whatever  may  be  wanting  in  my 
letters,  there  is  nothing  wanting  in  the  feelings  and  warm  affec 
tions  that  dictate  them.  My  love  to  you  all;  and,  with  the 
hope  of  seeing  you  soon,  I  remain 

Your  affectionate  sou, 

SEARGENT, 


TO     THE      SAM  E  . 

VicrsBCRO,  May  11,  1885. 

MY  DEAR  MOTHER  : — 

For  the  first  time  since  I  have  been  in  this  coun 
try,  I  have  to  inform  you  that  I  have  been  a  little  indisposed ; 
but  then  I  have  the  satisfaction  of  telling  you  that  I  have 
entirely  recovered  from  it,  and  am  again  as  well  as  ever  I  was 
in  my  life.  And  what  do  you  think  has  been  the  matter  with 
me?  Nothing  more  nor  less  than  the  varioloid.  Soon  after 
my  last  letter,  I  learned  that  a  particular  friend  of  mine  at 
Natchez,  Mr.  Huston,  was  lying  at  the  point  of  death  with  the 
small-pox.  I  went  immediately  down  to  see  him,  and  found 
that  he  had,  indeed,  a  terrible  case  of  that  loathsome  disease.  I 
stayed  with  him  two  or  three  days,  and  finding  that  he  had 
passed  the  crisis,  and  would  probably  get  over  it,  I  returned  to 
Vicksburg.  As  I  had  a  good  vaccine  mark  on  my  arm,  and 
knew  you  were  always  careful  to  have  the  children  vaccinated, 
I  felt  no  alarm — although  I  could  not  recollect  that  I  ever  had 
been  vaccinated.  But,  thanks  to  your  care,  it  had  been  done 
and  well  done ;  otherwise  I  should  have  had  the  worst  kind  of 
small-pox.  Even  as  it  was,  after  having  returned  about  ten 
days,  I  had  the  varioloid,  and  was  laid  up  for  just  a  week. 
There  was  very  little  eruption,  and  it  will  not  mark  me  in  the 
slightest  degree.  I  have  been  out  now  several  days.  I  am  glud 
of  the  occurrence,  as  I  now  need  have  no  fear  whatever  of  the 
small-pox. 

I  cannot  tell  even  yet  exactly  when  I  shall  start  for  borne. 
Our  court  here  is  now  in  session  ;  but  there  is  one  more  court, 
where  I  have  important  business,  requiring  my  personal  atten 
tion,  which  does  riot  sit  till  the  middle  of  Juune.  If  that  court 
should  be  certain  to  sit  (which  I  have  not  yet  .iscertnined),  I 


VOYAGE    TO    NEW    YORK.  159 

must  attend  it,  and  shall  not  get  off  till  about  the  first  clay  of 
july_that  is  the  furthest,  however.  I  have  everything  ready, 
and  the  money  now  lying  in  bank,  for  the  trip. 

My  love  to  the  girls  ;  I  believe  I  owe  them  both  a  letter  ;  but 
I'll  pay  them  in  talk  when  I  come  home.  As  the  time 
approaches,  in  which  I  trust  to  see  you  all,  I  have  lost  half  my 
inclination  to  write;  for  I  am  continually  thinking  how  much 
pleasanter  it  will  be  to  talk  over  matters  by  the  fireside,  when  I 

get  home. 

Your  affectionate  son, 

SEARGEXT. 

He  came  by  sea  to  New  York,  and  was  accompanied  by 
quite  a  party  of  Mississippians.  Judge  Wilkinson,  who 
was  one  of  his  fellow-passengers,  writes  : — 

It  was  during  this  voyage  (which,  owing  to  long  and  frequent 
calms,  was  unusually  protracted)  that  I  had  full  evidence  of  the 
surprising  stores  of  his  capacious  and  retentive  memory.  He 
would  recline  upon  the  quarter-deck  and,  hour  after  hour, 
rehearse  from  Shakspeare,  Spender,  Milton,  Byron,  Scott,  and 
all  the  chief  poets  of  England,  page  by  page,»in  the  finest  style. 
Many  of  the  best  passages  I  afterwards  recognized,  as  he  would 
reproduce  them  in  his  public  speeches.  He  kept  us  all  in  excel 
lent  spirits  during  the  long  voyage;  although,  with  his  charac 
teristic  impatience  of  quiet,  he  would  sometimes  wish  for  a  storm 
as  a  relief  from  the  dead  calm  of  the  sea.  His  mind  was  in  per 
fect  tune.  He  was  not  then  distinguished  in  the  great  world- 
it  was  just  before  his  genius  burst  upon  the  country  in  all  its 
splendor.  The  commonest  incident  that  happened  in  the  ship, 
was  sure  to  call  forth  from  him  some  highly  poetical  and  happy 
illustration,  or  witty  remark;  sometimes  borrowed,  but  almost 
always  original.  A  dolphin,  for  example,  was  taken  ;  afid  as  it 
died  on  the  deck,  he  gave  us  those  beautiful  lines  from  Byron 
about  "  parting  day.1'* 

*    Parting  day 

Dies  like  the  dolphin,  whom  each  pang  imbues, 
With  a  new  color,  as  it  gasps  away, 
The  last  still  'oveliest,  till— 'tis  gone— and  all  is  gray. 

—Chttde  Harold>  canto  IV,  stanza  29. 


160  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

Well,  at  last  tl.e  vessel  anchored  in  port,  and  a  day  or  twc 
afterwards,  we  agreed  to  take  an  excursion  together  to  West 
Point.  Here,  being  entire  strangers  to  every  one,  we  sat  at  the 
table  d  hote  opposite  a  party  quite  distinguished  in  appearance, 

one  of  whom  was  the  attractive  and  beautiful  Miss  W ,  now 

Madame  L ,  of  Mobile.     Some  courtesies  of  the  table  passed 

between  our  parties,  and  after  we  had  withdrawn  from  the 
dining  parlor,  Miss  W.  sent  a  gentleman  to  us  to  request  an 
introduction.  PKENTISS  declined — he  did  not,  at  that  time,  fre 
quent  the  company  of  ladies — but,  upon  hearing  who  the  lady 
was,  I  readily  complied.  At  the  end  of  a  pleasant  interview  I, 
after  a  long  search,  found  P.  lying  in  the  shade  on  the  bank  of 
the  river,  and  in  a  somewhat  sad  and  contemplative  mood.  I 
rallied  him  upon  his  want  of  gallantry  ;  and  for  the  only  time  I 
ever  heard  him,  he  alluded  most  feelingly  to  the  dwarfed  and 
crippled  condition  of  one  portion  of  his  body,  alleging  that  as 
his  reason  for  not  desiring,  and  even  shunning,  the  society  of 
ladies ;  and  he  would  not  be  persuaded  that  any  man  could 
possess  attractions  sufficient  to  obscure  such  a  defect  as  his. 

Accompanied  by  his  eldest  sister,  who  was  awaiting  him 
in  New  York,  he  reached  Gorham  in  July.  He  had  been 
absent  eight  years.  The  joy  of  his  return  it  were  vain  to 
describe.  I  was  at  Brunswick,  and  first  learned  of  his  arrival 
home  by  a  note  from  himself,  saying  he  was  at  the  hotel. 
Hastening  thither,  I  found  him  sitting  in  a  retired  room, 
and  absorbed,  seemingly,  in  deep  thought.  He  was  musing, 
doubtless,  upon  the  past,  and  upon  the  varied  fortunes 
which  had  attended  him  since,  nine  years  before,  he  bade 
adieu  ito  College  scenes.  His  appearance,  at  this  time,  was 
very  striking  ;  and  arrested  the  eye  of  the  most  casual 
observer.  When  animated  by  conversation,  every  feature 
of  his  countenance  glowed  with  intellectual  beauty  ;  his 
smile  was  peculiarly  radiant ;  the  tones  of  his  voice  were 
clear  and  persuasive  ;  while  the  shape  of  his  mouth  and  the 
whole  carriage  of  his  head  gave  assurance  of  an  indomitable 


FIRST    VISIT    HOME.  161 

will.  His  mother,  at  first,  thought  him  greatly  alterea, 
but  in  a  few  days  the  boyish  looks  came  back,  and  ho 
seemed  to  her,  just  as  he  did  on  the  day  of  setting  out  for 
the  Far  West. 

He  took  much  delight  in  revisiting  the  old  homestead — • 
fishing  again  in  the  Great  Brook — calling  upon  the  old 
neighbors  and  his  numerous  friends  at  the  village  and  in 
Portland.  But  it  was  in  the  inner  home  circle  that  he 
seemed  most  happy  and  most  like  himself.  His  manner 
towards  his  mother  was  still  the  same  as  aforetime  ;  only 
to  the  artless  love  and  devotion  of  boyhood,  there  was 
added  a  certain  tone  of  deepened  respect  and  deference, 
which  well  became  his  change  of  years.  Not  less  striking 
was  his  bearing  towards  his  sisters.  His  intercourse  with 
them  was  marked  by  a  tender  affection,  delicacy,  and  manly 
gentleness,  which  reflected  the  very  spirit  of  romantic  cour 
tesy.  This  journey  home  was  to  him  a  holy  pilgrimage. 
For  years  it  had  been  fondly  meditated  in  lonely  hours  at 
Vicksburg  ;  and  when  he  reached  the  domestic  shrine,  his 
heart  seemed  gladdened  as  by  the  payment  of  a  solemn, 
long-neglected  vow.  How  quickly  the  bright  hours  were 
spent  in  talking  over  the  past,  enjoying  the  fleet  present, 
and  laying  plans  for  the  future  ! 

Thus  passed  away  his  first  visit  North  ;  a  visit  which 
served  to  bind  him  yet  more  closely  to  his  New  England 
home 

TO     HIS     MOTHER    ANlf    SISTEES. 

VICKSBURG,  Sept.  19,  1835. 

MY  DEAR  MOTHER  AND  SISTERS  : — 

I  arrived  safely  at  Vioksburg  about  a  week  since, 
and  went  immediately  into  the  country  to  attend  a  court,  which 
had  commenced  a  day  or  two  before.  Had  I  been  a  few  days 
later  it  would  have  caused  me  considerable  injury ;  for  I  have 
got  some  very  good  fees  by  being  present. 


162  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

I  find  my  friends  all  well,  and  our  little  town  uncommonly 
quiet,  notwithstanding  the  trouble  which  has  occurred  here 
during  the  summer.  There  is  no  danger  of  any  further  diffi 
culties,  and  unfortunate  as  was  the  necessity  of  taking  the  strong 
measures  which  were  adopted  to  rid  the  place  of  a  gang  of 
ruffians  who  had  infested  it  for  years  with  impunity,  yet  the 
result  is  most  excellent— not  only  in  regard  to  this  place  but 
throughout  the  Southern  country.  There  is  hardly  an  individual 
in  the  State,  who  does  not  approve  of  the  course  taken  by  the 
citizens  of  Vicksburg. 

The  excitement  growing  cut  of  the  insurrection  of  the  slaves 
has  subsided,  and  not  the  slightest  danger  is  now  anticipated. 
During  the  prevalence  of  the  alarm,  there  were,  throughout  the 
State,  six  white  men  and  about  fifteen  negroes  hanged.  I  think 
the  severe  measures  which  were  pursued,  will  prevent  a  recur 
rence  of  similar  events— at  least  for  a  long  period  of  time.  It 
ought  certainly  to  serve  as  a  warning  to  the  abolitionists,'  not 
only  of  their  own  danger  but  of  the  great  injury  they  are  doing 
the  slaves  themselves,  by  meddling  with  them.  " 

I  wrote  you  from  Louisville,  informing  you  that  I  had  met  S., 
and  tarried  a  day  with  him  in  Cincinnati.  He  was  well,  looked 
well,  and  said  he  was  doing  well.  He  promised  to  write ;  but 
lie  seems  to  have  such  an  antipathy  to  a  pen,  that  I  doubt  if  he 
will. 

I  am  in  daily  expectation  of  a  letter  from  one  of  you.  I 
Buppose  Anna  will  have  returned  from  New  York,  and  be'  off 
for  Ipswich,  by  the  time  this  reaches  you.  George  must  write 
me  all  about  Commencement,  and  Abby  too.  My  love  to  you 
all.  Remember  me  to  our  friends.  Good  bye, 
Ever  your  affectionate, 

SEAEGENT. 

TO     HIS     SISTER     ANNA. 

DEAR  SISTEE:-  VlCKSBUR°'  ^  10'  1885' 

I  received  your  kind  favor  of  Oct.  last,  some  two 
weeks  since,  and  should  have  written  in  return  before  this,  but 


LETTERS.  163 

I  have  betn  quite  ill  from  an  accident,  which  happened  to  me 
about  three  weeks  ago,  and  from  which  I  have  just  recovered. 

I  was  eating  dinner,  and  by  some  chance,  a  small  piece  ot 
broken  glass  got  into  my  glass,  and  in  drinking  J  swallowed  it.  It 
lacerated  my  throat  very  much  and  I  have  been  laid  up  by  it  till 
within  a  day  or  two.  I  am  now  entirely  recovered,  and  as  well 
as  I  ever  was  in  my  life,  but  I  have  hud  a  pretty  severe  time 
of  it,  I  assure  you.  I  have  not  written  mother  about  it  at 
all,  as  it  will  only  worry  her,  and  as  there  is  no  harm  done,  per 
haps  it's  not  worth  while  she  should  know  anything  of  it.* 

I  am  very  glad  you  are  so  well  contented  with  Ipswich. 
Indeed  it  was  no  small  undertaking  for  you  to  go  alone,  and 
introduce  yourself  at  a  strange  place;  and  I  would  give  a  silver 
penny  to  have  seen  how  demure  you  looked  perched  up  in  the 
stage-  coach,  and  starting  off  like  a  young  knight-errantess  to 
seek  your  fortune.  None  but  Yankee  girls  have  such  enterprise, 
I  assure  you.  Don't  stint  yourself  at  all  in  your  expenses, 
and  provide  yourself  fully  with  all  the  books  and  everything 
else,  which  you  want. 

I  told  you  in  my  last  letter,  that  I  had  had  the  great  honor  of 
being  elected  a  member  of  the  Legislature  from  the  notorious 
town  of  Vicksburg.  In  about  three  weeks  the  Legislature  com 
mences  its  session,  and  I  shall  spend  the  winter  at  the  seat  of 
Government — making  laws  instead  of  expounding  them.  I 
shall  be  busier  this  winter  than  I  ever  was  in  my  life  bafore, 
and  you  must  not  be  surprised  if  I  do  not  even  find  time  to 
write  as  often  as  usual.  You  must  not  however  fail  to  write  me 
often,  and  good  long  epistles.  I  think  you  have  an  uncommon 
faculty  in  letter- writing,  which  you  ought \o  cultivate.  I  admire 
your  letters,  and  assure  you,  there  is  no  gratification  which  I 
receive  greater  than  in  their  perusal.  Write  me  as  often  as 
you  can,  and  don't  wait  for  regular  answers,  and  tell  me  every 


*Th!s  casualty  was  much  more  serious  than  he  represents  it.  For  several 
days  his  life  hung  by  a  single  thread  :  humanly  speaking,  nothing  saved  him  but 
his  buoyancy  of  spirit,  and  the  extraordinary  vigor  of  his  constitution.  Some  time 
afterwards,  he  gave  me  a  very  interesting  account  of  his  state  of  mind  in  prospeci 
of  death. — ED. 


164  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PKEXTISS. 

thing  you  can  think  about.     My  love  to  you,  and  all  the  rest  of 
the  folks.     Good  bye. 

Your  affectionate  brother 

SEAKGENT. 


TO  HIS  YOUNGEST  BROTHER, 

I  VICKSBURG,  Dec.  28,  1835. 

DEAR  GEORGE: — 

I  am  absolutely  stealing  a  few  moments  from  my 
I  rofessional  engagements  to  drop  you  these  lines,  lest  you  might 
suppose  something  evil  had  happened  to  me.  In  truth  my 
business  presses  upon  me  in  an  unusual  manner.  Three  of  onr 
most  important  courts  are  about  to  commence  their  sessions 
at  the  seat  of  Government,  in  all  of  which  I  am  largely  engaged ; 
at  the  same  time  commences  the  session  of  our  w  Legislature,  of 
which  honorable  body,  I  believe  I  have  informed  you,  I  am  an 
unworthy  member.  This  session  of  the  Legislature  will  be  an 
extremely  important  and  laborious  one,  more  so  than  any  other 
that  has  ever  occurred  in  the  State.  It  will,  probably,  be  pro 
tracted  till  spring;  so  you  see  that  between  making  laws 
and  expounding  them,  I  shall  have  a  busy  time  of  it  for  the 
next  three  or  four  months.  We  have,  among  other  things,  to 
elect  a  United  States  Senator  in  the  place  of  Poindexter. 

We  have  (the  Whigs)  gained  a  great  triumph  already  in  the 
election  of  a  Whig  Governor,  and  a  Whig  majority  in  both 
branches  of  Legislature.  We  hope  to  finish  our  victory  by  the 
reelection  of  Poindexter.  At  any  rate,  Van  Btirenism,  which 
heretofore  has  been  all;powerful,  is  now  dead  in  this  State.  But 
a  truce  to  politics.  My  health  and  business  are  both  good,  as 
are  also  my  spirits.  Could  I  drop  in  occasionally  and  see  you 
all,  after  the  labors  of  the  day  are  over,  I  should  want  nothing 
further  to  complete  my  happiness. 

I  anticipate  a  great  deal  of  pleasure  in  seeing  you  next  year, 
in  this  country.  You  must  certainly  come  when  your  engage 
ment  is  out  with  the  Academy.  I  had  a  letter  some  time  since 

from    Reuben   N ,  who   proposes   coming  to  this  country. 

I  have  promised  to  to  what   I  can  for  him,  f  he  comes.     What 


COMMENCEMENT    OF    HIS    POLITICAL    L'IFR.  165 

does  mother  say  about  moving  into  Portland,  or  to  New  York  ? 
If  I  have  not  time  to  write  as  often  as  usual  this  winter,  I  shall 
have  time  to  read ;  so  write  often,     My  love  to  you  all. 
Your  affectionate  brother, 

SEAKGENT. 


We  approach  now  the  period  when  his  public  life  may  be 
said  to  have  commenced.  Soon  after  returning  South,  he 
was  elected  a  representative  from  Warren  County  to  the 
State  Legislature,  and  for  the  next  eight  years  he  was,  with 
occasional  intervals,  ardently  engaged  in  the  toil  and  strife 
of  politics.  What  he  thought  of  this  new  vocation  will 
appear  from  his  letters.  When  he  first  went  to  the  South 
west,  and  for  several  years  afterwards,  he  took  little  interest 
in  the  party  questions  of  the  day.  But  it  was  impossible 
for  a  young  lawyer  of  his  talents,  eloquence  and  patriotic 
impulses,  to  remain  long  an  indifferent  observer  of  public 
affairs.  He  could  not  help  forming  his  own  opinions  about 
what  was  going  on  in  the  political  world — nor,  once  formed, 
could  he  help  boldly  expressing  them.  He  became  early  a 
warm  admirer  of  Henry  Clay,  and  conceived,  at  the  same 
iime,  a  corresponding  dislike  to  the  spirit  and  policy  of 
Gen.  Jackson  and  his  party. 

There  are  many  persons  in  Mississippi  who  remember  his 
earliest  political  speeches,  and  think  they  were,  rarely,  if 
ever,  surpassed  for  wit,  sarcasm,  or  argumentative  power,  by 
those  of  his  maturer  years.  How  many  an  amusing  scene  is 
recalled  by  those  youthful  philippics  against  Old  Hickory ! 

Judge  Wilkinson  writes  : — 

I  first  met  your  brother  at  a  Circuit  Court,  for  the  county  of 
,  then  a  newly  settled  and  border  country.  The  accom 
modations  at  our  log-cabin  hotel  were  none  of  the  best;  and  Mr. 
PRKNTISS  was  wittily,  and  playfully,  discoursing  of  their  character 


166  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

to  the  lawyers,  who  had  gathered  around  him.  Attracted  by 
peals  of  laughter,  the  host — a  man  of  giant  proportions  and 
Herculean  strength — approached  in  the  rear  of  your  brother, 
and  without  his  knowledge.  He  listened  to  the  exquisite  humor 
of  PRENTISS  as  long  as  he  could  bear  it,  then  suddenly  and 
abruptly  confronting  him — "  Mr.  P."  he  exclaimed  with  an  oath, 
"  if  you  don't  like  my  house,  sir,  you  can  leave  it.  There  is 
another  tavern  in  town,  sir."  "  That  other  tavern  is  just  the 
place  I  don't  care  to  go  to,"  quickly  replied  your  brother,  "  for 
it  is  worse  than  yours  by  far."  The  "  other  tavern"  keeper- 
was  at  daggers  drawn  with  our  host,  and  this  was  the  very  best, 
reply  he  could  have  made  to  avoid  a  knock-down.  This  was 
proven  by  the  event,  for  the  grim  and  angry  features  of  the 
giant  Boniface  soon  relaxed  into  a  forgiving  and  satisfied  smile; 
and  Mr.  PRENTISS  was  always,  after  this,  a  great  pet  with  him. 

Soon  afterwards  I  witnessed  another  display  of  his  self-posses 
sion  and  readiness  under  trying  circumstances.  He  was  making 
one  of  his  first  stump  speeches,  if  not  his  very  first,  in  the  then 
backwoods  county  of  Holmes.  It  was  a  powerful  invective 
against  Gen.  Jackson,  for  his  removal  of  the  members  of  his  first 
Cabinet.  While  he  was  summing  up  th  3  excuses  the  Democratic 
party  alleged  for  the  act,  he  was  suddenly  confronted  by  a 
fellow  holding  up  a  large  flag,  with  nothing  on  it  but  the  words 
"Hurrah  for  Jackson!"  inscribed  with  large  letters.  The  man 
advanced  slowly  towards  the  speaker,  whose  eye  no  sooner 
caught  the  pennant  than  he  exclaimed,  without  the  slightest 
perturbation — "In  short,  fellow  citizens,  you  have  now  before 
you  the  sum  and  substance  of  all  the  arguments  of  the  party — 
Hurrah  for  Jackson!'1''  The  effect  was  electrical,  and  the  poor 
man  slunk  away,  trailing  his  banner  after  him. 

The  Legislature  met  the  first  Monday  in  January.  Mr. 
PRENTISS  was  appointed  Chairman  of  the  Judiciary  Com 
mittee,  the  duties  of  which  he  seems  to  have  discharged 
with  much  diligence.  ^  He  spoke  frequently  during  the 
cession,  taking  part  in  almost  every  important  discussion  ; 
but  the  reports  of  his  speeches  are  extremely  scanty 


SPEECHES    IN    THE    LEGISLATURE.  16t 

Enough,  however,  remains — even  in  the  absence  of  all  other 
testimony — to  indicate,  not  only  the  prompt,  effective  and  elo 
quent  debater — but  the  ardent  patriot  and  ripe  statesman. 
In  looking  over  these  brief  records,  one  perceives  every 
where  fine  traces  of  political  intelligence,  wisdom,  and  up 
rightness  ;  they  sparkle,  like  dust  of  gold,  amidst  the  rubbish 
of  ordinary  legislative  verbosity.  His  principal  speeches 
were  upon  a  resolution,  recommending  that  a  convention  be 
called  to  form  a  new  constitution  ;  and  on  a  bill  to  allow  the 
New  Orleans  and  Nashville  Railroad  Company  to  extend 
their  charter  through  the  State  of  Mississippi.  Both  sub 
jects  led  to  long  and  elaborate  discussion ;  involving,  as 
they  did,  fundamental  questions  of  public  policy.  Some 
of  the  ablest  men  in  the  State  were  members  of  this  Legisla 
ture  and,  nearly  all  of  them  participated  warmly  in  the 
debates. 

Mr.  PRENTISS  was  in  favor  of  locating  the  New  Orleans 
and  Nashville  Railroad  east  of  Pearl  River,  believing  it 
would  promote  a  rapid  development  of  the  agricultural  and 
commercial  resources  of  that  portion  of  the  State.  A  few 
sentences  from  his  speech  on  this  question,  are  worth  quot 
ing — "  A  railroad  running  through  the  eastern  tier  of  coun 
ties,  would  be  like  giving  them  another  Mississippi.  It 
would  make  them  the  rivals  of  Portland,  his  native  town,  in 
the  lumber  trade.  They  could  supply  more  and  better  tim 
ber  than  Maine — and  it  was  due  to  that  part  of  the  State, 
that  they  should  be  enabled  to  make  the  trial.  He  wished  to 
see  the  day  come,  when  the  cry,  now  raised  against  Natchez, 
would  be  put  down — not  by  building  up  Natchez  alone,  but 
by  building  up  towns  of  equal  splendor,  in  the  east  and  other 
sections  of  the  State.  He  was  accused  of  opposing  Vicks- 
burg,  because  he  did  not  oppose  the  Natchez  Railroad. 
He  was  aware  that  road  might  injure  his  own  town  ;  but 


168  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PREN'TISS. 

he  did  not  stand  here  the  representative  of  Vicksburg  alone 
— to  the  injury  of  other  sections  ;  he  went  for  the  good  of 
the  whole.  Local  interests  ought  to  give  way  to  the  gene 
ral  interests  of  the  State. 

"  On  our  whole  western  boundary  flowed  a  river  as  bene 
ficial  to  the  country  as  if  the  salt  sea  washed  our  shore. 
We  could  hardly  imagine  the  day  when  the  light  canoe  was 
the  only  craft  on  this  Father  of  Waters.  Steamboats, 
larger  than  the  ships  of  the  ocean,  were  in  the  daily  habit 
of  passing  up  and  down — and  scattering  their  rich  products 
from  every  part  of  the  world,  amongst  the  inhabitants  of 
the  valley  of  the  Mississippi.  Though  remote  from  the  sea, 
we  enjoyed,  in  fact,  all  the  advantages  of  a  maritime  State. 
Steamboats  were  the  finest  vessels  in-  the  world — and  he 
was  of  opinion  that,  were  the  ocean  always  smooth,  the 
time  would  soon  come  when  another  sail  would  never  be 
unfurled  to  the  breeze.  And  he  thought  it  not  unlikely 
that  the  improvements  of  the  age  would  sometime  effect  this 
purpose,  and  that,  instead  of  stopping  the  towboats  at  the 
Balize,  they  will  find  their  way  across  the  raging  billows, 
defying  the  winds  and  waves,  and  transporting  their  sisters 
of  the  ocean  into  a  foreign  port. 

"We  have  received  one  great  advantage — a  salubrious 
climate,  and  a  rich  soil  for  agriculture.  But  should  we, 
on  this  account,  throw  away  every  other  blessing?  He 
thought  it  would  be  the  part  of  wisdom,  to  foster  and  pro 
tect  our  other  resources.  We  were  not  legislating  alone 
for  the  present  generation.  Because  we  were  now  basking 
in  a  rich  and  luxuriant  soil,  and  getting  good  prices  for  the 
products  of  our  agriculture,  we  had  no  security  that  this 
state  of  things  would  always  last.  Our  soil  was  a  treasury 
superior  to  the  gold  of  Peru,  or  the  diamonds  of  Golconda. 
But  let  us  see  if  it  will  be  always  so.  There  were  few 
things  that  could  be  produced  on  so  great  a  portion  of  the 


LETTERS.  1 69 

earth's  surface  as  cotton.  From  thirty-two  degrees  of 
north,  to  the  same  degree  of  south  latitude,  it  was  almost 
an  indigenous  plant. 

"  In  Texas  the  banner  of  liberty  had  already  been 
unfurled,  and  the«eyes  of  the  civilized  world  were  upon  her. 
She  would,  unquestionably,  achieve  her  independence  ;  and 
would  be  rich  in  her  agricultural  resources. .-  She  might, 
one  day,  surpass  even  Mississippi  herself,  in  the  production 
of  cotton.  Mexico  and  South  America  would  follow  in  her 
train ;  he  looked  to  the  time  when  they  would  have  a  popu 
lation  free  and  intelligent  as  our  own.  Their  soil  and 
climate  were  superior  to  ours  ;  theirs,  too,  would  be  a 
cotton  country — and  it  is  not  at  all  improbable  that  the 
produce  of  the  raw  material  will,  at  no  distant  day,  far 
outstrip  the  demand.  If  that  day  came,  we  should  then 
lament  the  short-sighted  policy  we  are  now  pursuing." 

During  this  session  of  the  Legislature  the  banking  capital 
of  Mississippi  was  increased  twelve  millions  ;  thus  making 
the  whole  banking  facilities  of  the  State,  some  twenty-one 
millions.  And  it  was  only  for  want  of  two  or  three  votes, 
that  the  notorious  Union  Bank,  of  fifteen  millions,  failed  to 
be  incorporated.  Probably  no  one,  at  the  time,  discerned 
in  this  sudden  and  enormous  inflation  of  paper  currency, 
the  mischief,  that  was  to  follow. 

TO     HIS     YOUNGEST       BROTHER. 

VrcKSBURO,  February  29,  1886. 

DEAB  GEOKGE: — 

I  have  just  got  home  from  Jackson,  and  take  the 
first  leisure  moments  I  have  had  for  two  months  to  write  you. 
The  Legislature  adjourned  on  Saturday  last,  after  a  noisy  and 
laborious  session  ;  and,  I  assure  you,  I  took  a  full  share  both  in 
tho  labor  and  the  noise.  Of  all  the  occupations  I  have  ever 

8 


1*70  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

tried,  I  am  decidedly  of  opinion,  that  making  laws  is  the  most 
obnoxious  to  comfort  and  happiness.  I  am  sick  of  it ;  and  if 
the  people  would  permit  it,  would  resign  forthwith :  but  as  my 
constituents  seem  perfectly  satisfied  with  my  services,  I  suppose 
I  shall  have  to  hold  on  another  year— the  term  for  which  I  was 
elected. 

I  have  received  two  letters  from  you,  and  one  from  Anna, 
since  I  wrote  last.     In  your  letters  you  have  asked  my  opinion 
of  the  propriety  of  moving  into  Portland.     So  far  as  my  opinion 
will  have  any  weight,  I  give  it  unhesitatingly  in  favor  of  moving. 
Indeed,  if  I  recollect  right,  I  urged  it  when  I  was  at  home.     In 
regard  to  mother  herself,  I  think  it  would  increase  her  comfort 
and  happiness.     She  would  live  with  less  trouble  and  anxiety  ; 
have  more  of  her  friends  around  her;  and,  in  fine,  enjoy  in  every 
respect,  greater  advantages  and   suffer  fewer  inconveniences, 
than  she  can  possibly  expect  from  a  residence  in  Gorham.     But 
to  the  girls  the  greatest  advantage   would   result  in   moving 
to  Portland;    and   on   their   account  particularly,    I  am   very 
anxious  for  it.     I  can  see  no  objection  in  the  world ;  the  only 
one  that  could  be  raised  is  the  additional   expense,  and  that 
it  will  afford  me  pleasure  to  obviate.     By-the-by,  I  have  gained 
the  important  suit,  which  prevented  me  from  coming  home 
summer  before  last,  and  I  expect  to  make  at  least  twenty  thous 
and  dollars  out  of  it.     It  will,  however,  be  two  or  three  years, 
probably,  before  I  realize  the  property. 

I  have  nothing  new  to  tell  you.  My  health  is  good,  and  so  is 
business— rather  more  so  than  I  like.  I  am  getting  very  tired 
of  the  practice :  I  wish  you  would  study  law,  and  take  my 
place ;  it  is  not  half  so  villainous  a  profession  as  you  imagine. 

I  shall  write  to  W to-night;  I  have  not  congratulated  him 

yet  on  his  beautiful  boy— of  whom  he  seems  to  have  a  very 
exalted  opinion.  Tell  Abby  she  is  a  very  lazy  correspondent;  1 
have  not  had  a  letter  from  her  for  a  good  long  time.  My  love 
to  mother  and  to  you  all. 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

SKARGEHT. 


LETTERS    HOME. 


in 


TO     HIS     SISTER     ANNA. 

VICKSBURO    March  26,  1336. 

MY  DEAR  SISTER: — 

I  have  been  gnilry  of  an  offence  for  which  I  most 
earnestly  entreat  your  pardon— though  I  shall  not  easily  forgive 
myself.  I  have  neglected,  for  the  space  of  three  months,  writing 
to  one  of  the  best  and  sweetest  sisters  in  the  world.  'Tis  true, 
during  that  time  I  have  been  overwhelmed  with  business,  and 
my  powers  both  of  body  and  mind  continually  taxed  to  the 
utmost  extent  of  their  capacity.  But  I  do  not  esteem  this  a 
good  excuse,  for  I  might  have  written;  and,  in  fact,  have 
frequently  sat  down  for  that  purpose,  and  have  thrown  aside  the 
thoughts  and  cares  of  business,  as  a  weary  man  would  lay  down 
a  heavy  burden.  But  then,  it  was  such  a  luxury  to  sit  and 
think  about  home,  and  imagine  you  all  gathered  round, — 
mother,  and  A.  and  G.  and  yourself— that  time  would  fly  away, 
and  I  would  find  myself  compelled  to  postpone  writing  to 
some  future  period — when  the  same  thing  would  happen 
again.  Indeed,  should  I  write  every  time  arid  all  I  think  about 
you,  it,  would  take  all  your  time  to  read  my  epistles.  But  as 
the  little  children  say  at  school,  u  If  you1!!  overlook  my  negli 
gence  this  time,  I  won't  do  so  any  more." 

Our  Legislature  adjourned  about  a  month  since.  Imme 
diately  after  I  went  to  New  Orleans, — from  whence  I  have  ju^t 
returned — and  whom  think  you  I  saw  there?  Just  as  I  w.  s 
about  to  step  on  board  the  steamboat  to  leave  the  city,  I 
stumbled  upon  brother  S.  He  had  arrived  the  day  befow, 
and  it  was  the  merest  accident  in  the  world  that  I  found  hu.t. 
He  was  in  good  health  and  spirits;  inquired  very  eagerly  aba. At 
you  all,  and  promises  to  come  home  next  summer  with  IL.J. 
You  must  write  him  at  Cincinnati,  whioL  l>e  calls  his  head 
quarters. 

In  your  last,  you  ask  me  whether  I  would  advise  you  to  stsf 

at  I two  years.     I  would  advise  you,  my  dear  sister,  to  staf 

there  just  as  long  as  you  please,  or  at  any  other  school  you  mi»f 
select.  I  wish  you  to  have  all  the  advantages  of  education, 
which  the  country  will  afford.  You  do  nob  know  what  oblige 


172  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

tion  I  am  under  to  you  :  I  owe  all  my  success  in  this  country  to 
the  fact  of  having  so  kind  a  mother,  and  such  sweet  and  affec 
tionate  sisters  as  Abby  and  yourself.  It  has  been  my  only 
motive  to  exertion ;  without  it,  I  should  long  since  have  thrown 
myself  away.  Even  now,  when,  as  is  frequently  the  case,  I  feel 
perfectly  reckless  both  of  life  and  fortune,  and  look  with  con 
tempt  upon  them  both,  the  recollection  that  there  are  two  or 
three  hearts  that  beat  for  me  with  real  affection,  even  though 
far  away — comes  over  me  as  the  music  of  David  did  over  the 
dark  spirit  of  Saul.  I  still  feel  that  I  have  something  worth 
living  for.  Judge  then  how  much  greater  are  my  obligations  to 
you  than  yours  can  ever  become  to  me.  Write  me  very  often. 
Your  affectionate  brother, 

SE  ARGENT. 


TO     HIS     SISTER     ABBT. 

VICKSBDRG,  April  16,  1836. 
MY  DEAR  SISTER  : — 

I  wrote  to  you  a  few  weeks  since,  on  my  return 
from  New  Orleans,  informing  you  that  I  had  seen  S.  there, 
and  that  he  was  well,  and  doing  well.  I  have  had  the  pleasure 
of  seeing  him  again  this  morning.  His  boat  stopped  here  a  few 
hours  on  her  passage  down  the  river.  He  is  in  excellent  health 
and  good  spirits.  He  sends  his  love  to  you  all. 

I  have  not  had  a  letter  from  Gorham  for  two  months  or  more. 
I  got  one  this  morning  from  Anna,  which  was  a  great  treat, 
though  she  berated  me  most  unmercifully  for  not  writing  her 
oftener,  and  unlike  the  criminals,  whom  I  am  in  the  habit  of 
defending,  I  can't  plead  "not  guilty."  I  wrote  her,  however, 
about  three  weeks  since,  and  directed  to  I . 

Next  year  I  shall  be  certain  to 'come  home  and  see  you  again, 
and  indeed  would  do  so  this  summer,  but  my  partner  wishes  to 

go  away  this  summer,  which  will  keep  me  here.  Reuben  "N" 

came  here  a  few  days  since.  I  have  not  as  yet  been  able  to  get 
him  a  school,  but  think  I  shall  do  yo  shortty.  Teaching,  how 
ever,  is  not  as  good  a  business  here  as  it  used  to  be. 


LETTERS    HOME.  173 

My  own  business  is  very  flourishing ;  I  have  as  much  as  I  can 
attend  to.  I  hope  I  shall  see  George  out  here  this  fall.  I  wish 
he  could  reconcile  it  to  himself  to  study  Law.  He  could  make 
a  fortune  here.  My  partner  will  retire  from  practice  in  the 
course  of  a  year,  and  I  could  take  G.  into  partnership.  At 
any  rate,  I  wish  he  would  not  make  up  his  mind  irrevocably  as  to 
a  profession  till  he  has  seen  a  little  more  of  the  world,  and  had 
a  better  opportunity  of  judging  for  himself.  I  am  very  anxious 
for  a  letter  from  home,  and  hope  to  have  one  soon.  My  love  to 
you  all. 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

SEAEGENT. 


TO     THE     SAME. 

VICKSBCRG,  Sept.  8,  1886. 

DEAE  SISTEE: — 

I  have  just  returned  from  Kentucky,  where  I  have 
been  spending  three  or  four  weeks.  My  last  letter,  I  believe, 
informed  you  of  my  intention  to  do  so,  and  also  continued  a 
promise  to  write  you  of  my  adventures  in  the  "dark  and 
bloody  ground."  I  spent  my  time  very  pleasantly,  visiting  first 
Louisville,  then  the  Harrodsburg  Springs,  Lexington,  and  vari 
ous  other  portions  of  that  beautiful  State.  It  is,  indeed,  a  very 
beautiful  country,  and  many  parts  of  it  put  me  strongly  in  mind 
of  New  England. 

I  experienced  a  great  deal  of  hospitality,  and  was  altogether 
much  delighted  with  my  trip.  While  at  Lexington,  I  called  on 
Mr.  Clay,  at  his  residence  about  a  mile  from  town.  He  knew 
me,  I  having  had  letters  to  Mm  when  at  Washington  City,  three 
years  ago.  He  wished  me  to  stay  and  call  on  him  again;  but 
my  engagements  were  made  to  leave  Lexington  that  day,  and  I 
had  to  decline,  which  I  regretted.  Mr.  Clay  has  a  tasteful,  but 
by  no  means  splendid  residence — surrounded,  however,  by  the 
moBt  highly  cultivated  grounds  in  all  Kentucky.  But  enough  of 
my  visit  for  the  present ;  I  can  tell  you  all  about  it  when  I  see 
you  next  summer. 


174  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PREXTISS. 

I   am   glad  you  have  determined   to  go  back  to  I this 

winter.    I  want  you  and  Abhy  to  understand  that  it  is  rny  anxious 
wish,  that  you  should  both  avail  yourselves  of  all  the  advantages 
which  the  country  will  afford  for  education  in  its  rnosL  liberal 
and  extended  sense.     My  warmest  love  to  you  all. 
Your  affectionate  brother, 

SEAEGENT. 


TO     HIS     SISTEE     ABBT. 

VICKSBUKQ,  Nov.  2,  1886, 

DEAE  ABBY: — 

I  have  refrained,  for  some  time,  writing  to  you  in 
the  daily  expectation  of  George's  arrival.  You  may  judge  how 
gratified  I  was  to  find  him  this  morning  seated  quietly  in  my 
office,  awaiting  rny  lazy  motions  in  rising.  He  arrived  here  last 
night  (in  the  night),  and  is  in  excellent  health  and  spirits.  I  am 
rejoiced  to  see  him,  and  only  regret  that  I  cannot  gather  all  our 
little  family  group  around  me  to  partake  of  my  enjoyment.  As 
to  his  voyage  down  the  mighty  Mississippi,  and  his  adven 
tures  since  he  left  home,  I  shall  leave  them  to  his  own  pen. 

At  Cincinnati  he  met  with  S.,  who  is  well,  though  he  has 
been  somewhat  indisposed  during  the  summer.  We  expect 
him  down  here  in  the  course  of  a  month.  G.  and  myself 
have  had  several  long  chats  about  his  views  and  prospects — 
though  as  yet  we  have  come  to  no  definite  conclusion  on  the  sub 
ject.  I  have,  however,  I  think,  persuaded  him  not  to  think  of 
wasting  his  time  in  the  ungrateful  task  of  teaching.  My  increas 
ing  prosperity  in  business  will  enable  me  without  inconvenience, 
to  furnish  him  with  the  means  of  finishing  his  education.  This 
I  have  offered,  and  I  think  he  will  accept  my  offer;  so  next 
year  you  may  expect  to  see  both  of  us. 

I  had  the  pleasure,  yesterday,  of  receiving  a  long  and  sisterly 
epistle  from  A.,  for  which  I  thank  her  kindly,  and  the  like  of 
which  I  hope  to  receive  often  from  you  both.  I  have  nothing 
new  to  tell  you.  I  am  in  excellent  health,  and  right  busy  I  assure 
you.  Our  little  city  is  increasing  at  an  amazing  rate.  We  have 


LETTERS.  H5 

had  some  eight  or  ten  shij.s  directly  at  this  place  during  the  last 
two  months.  This  morning  the  brig  arrived  here,  on  which 
G.  shipped  his  baggage  at  New  York.  This  is  the  first  year 
ships  ever  ascended  so  far  up  a  river — 500  or  600  miles.  I 
shall  leave  G.  to  act  as  chronicler  of  whatever  is  interesting  to 
him,  and  with  my  love  to  all,  bid  you  "good  night." 
Your  affectionate  brother, 

SEARGENT. 


TO     HIS     BKOTHEE     WILLIAM,     NEW     YORK. 

VICKSBURG,  November  16, 1886. 
DEAR  BROTHER  : — 

I  have  been  sometime  indebted  to  you  for  a  letter, 
and  I  should  feel  more  compunction  on  that  account,  were  it  not 
that  I  have  so  often  had  you  in  the  same  predicament. 

G.  arrived  here  some  ten  days  since,  in  good  health  and 
spirits ;  and  I  need  not  tell  you  how  glad  I  was  to  see  him.  He 
has,  with  my  advice,  given  up  at  present  the  idea  of  keeping 
Bchool,  and  intends  to  pursue  his  studies  this  winter. 9  He  is 
delightfully  situated,  having  been  invited  by  my  partner  Judge 
Guion,  to  spend  the  winter  at  his  residence,  about  a  mile  from 
town.  But  he  will,  I  doubt  not,  tell  you  more  than  I  can 
about  his  situation  and  views;  and,  indeed,  he  has  already,  I 
believe,  written  to  you.  He  appears  well  pleased  with  the 
country,  and  says  that  he  would  not  take  anything  for  the 
advantage  he  haS  derived  from  his  travels. 

You  ask  me  about  my  speculation,  by  which  I  am  to  make  a 
fortune.  It  is  not  in  Texas  Lands,  I  assure  yon.  I  have  as 
small  an  opinion  of  that  kind  of  speculation  as  you  can  have. 
Whether  I  succeed  or  not,  it  is  impossible  to  say.  I  think,  how 
ever,  I  shall;  it  will  be  decided  this  winter.  My  speculation 
consists  in  having  purchased  an  interest  in  a  portion  of  land  in 
the  town  of  Vicksburg,  which  is  claimed  by  the  town  as  Com 
mons,  or  public  property.  I  purchased  of  the  original  proprie 
tors  of  the  town,  and  the  matter  is  now  pending  in  a  suit,  which 
will  be  decided  by  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  State,  this  winter 


176     '_,*  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PREXTI33. 

If  I  succeed,  it  will  make  me  wealthy,  which  I  care'  little 
about  on  iny  own  account,  but  much  on  account  of  others.  I 
have  never  spoken  definitely  of  the  subject  to  the  folks  at  home, 
because  it'  I  am  disappointed,  I  do  not  wish  them  to  be  so. 

You  must  have  had  a  pleasant  trip  to  Maine  this  summer.  I 
should  have  rejoiced  to  have  been  with  yon.  I  shall  be  next 
summer,  as  I  am  determined  at  all  events  to  make  another  visit 
North,  at  that  time.  Pray,  write  me  oftener,  and  tell  me  how 
you  are  coming  on  in  your  business,  for  I  feel  much  interest  in 
it ;  and  be  assured  that  my  own  success  is  the  success  of  all  my 
brothers  and  sisters.  I  have  nothing  new  to  tell  you.  The 
election  has  just  taken  place,  but  the  returns  are  not  sufficient 
to  warrant  a  positive  opinion.  I  think,  however,  this  State  has 
gone  for  White.  My  love  to  you  all, 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

SEARGENT. 

In  the  preceding  chapter  allusion  has  been  made  to  his 
rides  on  horseback,  while  attending  the  courts  in  the  inte 
rior  of  the  State.     This  may  be  a  proper  place  to  speak  of 
the  other  mode  of  travelling,  mentioned  so  often  already  in 
his  letters,  and  which  formed  no  unimportant  phase  of  his 
moving  life.     We  refer,  to  his  journeying  on  steamboats, 
particularly   upon   the   Mississippi.  ^    Prom    his    settlement 
in  Vicksburg  until  his  marriage,  no  small  portion   of  his 
time    was   passed   in   the    floating    palaces    which    enliven 
the  bosom  of  this  majestic  river.     Aside  from  the  calls  of 
business,  there  was  an  excitement  and  variety  in  this  mode 
of  existence,  which  agreed  well  with  his  disposition.     He 
was  generally  known  on  the  river  j  and  everybody  that  did 
not    know    him,  was    anxious   to   make    his    acquaintance, 
or  at    least   to   get    a   glimpse    of   him.     The    steamboats 
between  Vicksburg  and  Natchez  were  to  him   little  more 
than  ferry-boats,  upon  which  he  was -perpetually  flying  to 
and  fro. 


•HIS   JOURNEYING    ON    STEAMBOATS.  17\ 

It  is  not  surprising,  therefore,  that  he  had  an  affectionate, 
home-like  feeling  towards  the  "  Father  of  Waters,"*  or  that 
its  grand  phenomena,  and  the  strange  aspects  of  human 
character,  upon  its  lousy  current,  should  have  made  an 
indelible  impression  upon  his  observing  and  plastic  mind. 
Who,  indeed,  can  sail  upon  this  tremendous  flood,  for  the 
first  time,  without  a  vivid  sense  of  wonder  and  sublimity  ? 
What  a  mystery  seems  to  enshroud  its  origin,  thousands  of 
miles  away  amid  tne  eternal  snows  of  the  Northwest  ! 
What  great  rivers — Missouri,  Ohio,  Red,  and  Arkansas,  to 
say  nothing  of  innumerable  lesser  streams — hasten  to  pay 
it  tribute,  and  to  swell  its  "wealth  of  waters"  as  they  rush 
onward  to  the  sea  ! 

But  to  the  eye  of  a  stranger  from  the  North,  even  the 
river  itself  was  surpassed  in  interest  by  the  grotesque  and 
shifting  forms  of  humanity,  which,  like  dissolving  views  in  a 
panorama,  presented  themselves  in  animated  succession  from 
New  Orleans  to  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio.  The  following 
sketches,  written  by  a  traveller  about  this  time,  depicting 
scenes  in  the  vicinity  of  Vicksburg,  through  which  Mr.  Pren- 
tiss  was  passing  so  often,  will  not,  perhaps,  be  unaccept 
able  to  the  reader,  or  be  deemed  here  out  of  place. 

We  are  now  ploughing  our  noisy  way  between  forest-lined 
shores  of  cotton-wood  on  one  side,  and  cypress,  maple,  oak  and 
other  heavy  timber,  as  the  boatmen  term  it,  on  the  other.  The 
cotton-wood  is  always  found  on  the  concave  side  of  the  river, 


*  According  to  Mr.  Thorpe,  this  is  a  poetical,  and  not  the  true,  rendering  of 
Mississippi.  "  From  the  most  numerous  Indian  tribe  in  the  Southwest,  the 
Choctaws,  we  derive  tlie  name.  With  that  tribe,  the  two  simple  adjectives,  Missdh 
and  Sippah,  are  used  when  describing  the  most  familiar  things  ;  but  these  two 
words — though  they  are  employed  thus  familiarly  when  separated — compounded, 
form  the  most  characteristic  name  we  can  get  of  thjs  wonderful  river.  MissaJi, 
literally,  'old  big,'  Sippali,  'strong'  OLD-BIG-STRONQ ;  and  this  name  is  eminently 
appropriate  to  the  Mississippi."—  The  ffive  of  the  Bee- Hunter,  p.  95. 

8* 


MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

for  here  are  the  constant  alluvia]  deposits,  on  which,  as  soon  ai 
the  water  leaves  it,  the  young  cotton-tree  shoots  up  in  groves, 
and  in  two  years  is  ten  feet  high.     A  cotton-tree  forest   will 
grow  to  the  medium  height  in  ten  years.     As  the  force  of  the 
current  is  thrown  towards  the  convex  side,  that  is  constantly 
undermined;  but  for  every  foot  of  soil  and  every  ancient  tree 
that  tails  into  the  river,  a  foot  of  land  and  a  new  tree  (cotton 
however)  springs  up  on  the  opposite  shore.     Such  is  the  pecu 
liarity  of  this  great  river,  on  whose  banks  dissolution  and  crea 
tion  are  constantly  going  forward.    On  the  inner  or  concave  side 
the  current  is  less  forcible,  and  ascending  boats,   heaving   the 
lead   as   they  go,  hug   it   as    closely  as  is  safe,   crossing   from 
point  to   point,  as  the  meandering  course   of  the  river  alter 
nately  changes  the  concave  shore  from  one  side  to  the  other. 
Vegetation  is  at  least  two  weeks  behind  that  of  New  Orleans, 
and  in  looking  upon  the  foliage  of  the  trees,  we  seem  to  have 
retrograded  that  space  of  time.     We  have  just  rounded  a  bend 
of  the  river,  which  presented  features  truly  magnificent.     Close 
to  the   water's  edge,  in  the  shnpe  of  a  crescent  two  miles  in 
length,  extended  a  girdle  of  cotton-trees,  or  rather  bushes,  three 
feet  high  and  ten  feet  wide,  the  growth  of  the  last  season,  upon 
the  alluvial  deposit.     A  second  girdle  twice  the  height  of  this, 
and  of  a  dark  green,  rose  behind  it,  and  behind  this  a  third,  and 
then  a  fourth  and  so  on,  rising  one  above  the  other,  each  a 
darker  shade  of  green,  in  beautiful  order,  like  the  benches  of  an 
amphitheatre,  till  they  terminated  in  the  tall  forest-line  which 
formed  the  eighth  belt.    The  sun  was  shining  brightly  aslant  tin's 
striking  scene,  increasing  by  the  relief  of  its  lights  and  shadows 
its  natural  magnificence.     In  the  absence  of  other  objects  to 
attract  his  attention,  the  traveller  can  often  find  amusement  it: 
Bitting  on  the  guards  and  observing  the  varied  character  of  the 
gorgeous  old  forests  through  which  he  is  moving.     A  tree  as 
hoary  as  time,  its  huge  limbs  gnarled  and  twisted  into  gigantic 
knots,   its   branches   (themselves   huge   trunks  in  size)  flinging 
their   scathed   and    rugged   forms   into   the  air,   will  sometimes 
attract  his  eye,  and  if  he  is  at  all  romantic,  or  a  poet,  or  a  sober 
lover  of  nature,  will  delight  him  and  give  him  food  for  study, 


SCENERY    ON    THE    MISSISSIPPI  179 

poetry  or  meditation.     How  many  stories  of  past  centuries  may 
such  an  old  forest-king  relate ! 

"  Say,  Druid  Oak,  canst  thou  the  story  tell  ?" 

There  ia  a  young  lady  on  board,  intellectual,  romantic  and  a 
beauty,  who  is  ready  to  go  crazy  with  delight  when  an  old  tree, 
uglier,  more  gnarled  and  more  picturesque  than  another,  happens 
to  meet  her  eye :  "  Oh  !  what  a  delightful  good  old  patriarch  for 
a  foreground.  See  how  that  stern  savage  monarch  flings  his 
arms  to  the  sky,  as  if  in  defiance!  What  majesty  in  the  spread 
of  those  limbs  ;  and  how  gracefully  the  grey  coat  of  its  huge 
trunk  is  relieved  by  the  folds  of  that  grape-vine  !" 

We  have  just  passed  several  flatboats  tied  to  the  shore;  the 
back-water  of  our  paddles  made  a  great  commotion  among  them, 
and  as  usual,  our  deck  hands  began  to  laugh  at  them  and  they 
to  shout  back.  "  Hand  that  steamboat  here "  shouted  a  flat- 
boatman  in  a  red  shirt  and  blue  linsey-wolsey  trowsers,  "and 
I'll  take  take  it  home  for  the  old  woman  to  make  tea  in."  "  Hand 
rne  that  hand-spike,"  shouted  a  little  squat  fellow  with  red  hair, 
"  and  I'll  pick  my  teeth  with  it."  "  Stop  that  boat  and  let  me 
light  my  pipe."  "  Shovel  away  them  niggers,  pitch  it  in," 
yelled  another  to  the  firemen,  u  or  the  gentlemen  passengers 
will  go  without  supper."  "  Let  off  your  steam  or  you'll  all  go 
to  the  Dickins  together."  "  Shut  up  that  flatboat  and  I'll  give 
a  pic'  for  it  to  keep  my  bacco'  in,"  roared  another.  When  we 
got  too  far  off  for  words  to  be  distinguished,  the  belligerents 
began  to  yell,  shout,  clap  their  hands,  and  make  all  sorts  of 
hideous  and  unearthly  noises  ;  as  the  increasing  distance  render 
ed  these  indistinct,  a  pistol  was  fired  in  bravado  from  one  of 
the  flatboats  and  immediately  answered  by  the  sharp  crack  of  a 
rifle  from  the  forward  part  of  our  steamer,  and  then  hostilities 
ceased.  There  is  always  amusement  when  a  steamer  and  a  flat- 
boat  meet ;  then  Kentucky  and  Hoosier  wit  is  peculiarly  bril 
liant.  The  majority  of  deck  passengers  on  upward-bound  boats 
are  often  flatboatmen,  returning  home  after  disposing  of  their 
freight  and  boats.  Jingling  their  dollars  in  the  faces  of  those 


A80  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

who  are  going  tc  market,  they  brag  of  bargains  and  amuse  them 
with  extravagant  tales  of  the  state  of  the  market,  which  they 
call    "bamboozling."      The   appearance    of   flatboatmen,    with 
their  loo.se,    coarse,    brown    trowsers,   red   or   blue  shirts,   the 
sleeves  drawn  up  to  the   shoulders,   their  rough,    determined 
looking  faces  and   athletic   limbs,   is   exceedingly   picturesque. 
The  life  of  a  flatboatman  is  an  exceedingly  laborious  one ;  the 
boat  committed  to  the  current,  does  not  float  idly  down  to  its 
destined  port,   but  the  constant  exertions  of  its  "  hands  "  are 
requisite  to  keep  it  from  almost  hourly  shipwreck  ;  the  current 
of  the  Mississippi  is  always  sweeping  against  one  or  the  other 
of  its  shores,  and  the  flatboat,  if  left  to  itself,  would  be  dashed 
against  the  convex  side  of  every  bend— and  the  whole  course  of 
the  Mississippi  is  only  a  series  of  bends ;  therefore,  on  turning 
points  the  utmost  vigilance  is  necessary  to  work  the  boat  and 
keep  it  out  from  the  bank  against  which  the  natural  direction  of 
the  current  would  carry  it.     When  the  wind  blows  hard  against 
the  shore,  the  utmost  exertions  of  the  half  dozen  muscular  men, 
who  form  the  complement  of  flatboatmen,  cannot  always  enable 
them  to  counteract  the  force  of  both   wind   and  current,  and 
many  boats  are  dashed  to  pieces.     From  the  wrecks  which  at 
intervals  strew  the  shores  of  the  river,  the  proportion  of  boats 
wrecked  in  their  descent  must  be  very  large.     Sometimes,  and 
indeed  most  usually  two  boats'  crews  unite,  and-with  their  boats 
secured  side  by  side,  by  their  united  strength  are  better  able  to 
resist  the  current.     The  old  race  of  professional  flatboatmen, 
the   chief  of  whom,    Mike   Fink,  the  elegant  pen  of  Morgan 
Neville,  Esq.,  has  immortalized,  is  passed  away.     Flatboatmen 
now  are  Western   farmers,   with    their  sons  and   hired   labor 
ers,  whose  lands  lie  on   the  river  and  whose  markets  are  the 
lower  towns  of  the  Mississippi.     The  Yankee  farmer  loads  his 
wagon  or  sleigh  and  hauls  his  produce  to  the  nearest  market 
town,  the  Western  farmer  loads  his  boat  and  floats  his  produce 
a  thousand  miles  to  Vicksburg,  Natchez  and  New  Orleans ;  the 
Yankee  farmer  returns  home  in  his  empty  sleigh  or  wagon,  the 
the  Western  farmer  sells  his  substitute  for  a  wagon,  his  boat, 
with  his  produce,  and  goes  back  to  his  farm  as  deck  passenger 


SCENES    IN    THE    MISSISSIPPI.  181 

on  a  steamer.  I  Lave  met  with  representatives  from  every 
farming  district  of  the  Ohio  and  upper  Mississippi  on  the  Levee 
at  New  Orleans,  a  hardy,  sober,  industrious  class,  little  under 
stood  and  often  grossly  misrepresented,  under  the  abused  term 
of  a  Flatboatmen." 

The  traveller  seldom  sees  steamboat"  on  the  Mississippi  unless 
under  way.     At  every  landing,  however  insignificant,  flatboats 
are  always  to  be  seen  loading  and  unloading,  giving  employment 
to  one  or  two  stores  and  keeping  business,  at  least,  alive.     Near 
Princeton  a  steamboat  passed  us,  and  although  it  was  not  two- 
thirds  across  the  river,  we  were  unable  to  read  its  name,  painted 
in  large  letters  on  the  wheel-house,  without  a  spy-glass.     This 
fact  will  give  a  Northerner  some  idea  of  the  breadth  of  this  great 
river.     Shortly  afterwards  an  "  ark ''  floated  by.     This    vessel 
differs  from  the  flatboat,  keelboat  and  broadhorn,  in  its  construc 
tion.     A  solid,  oblong  raft  of  timber,  twelve  feet  wide  and  fifty 
or  sixty  long,  is  the  groundwork.     On  one  end  of  it  is  erected  of 
rough  boards,  a  sort  of  covered  pen,  for  cattle  and  fowls.     On 
the  other  side  is  a  rude  inclosure  roofed  like  a  house,  often  con 
taining  a  chimney,  and  in  which  the  family  live.     If  a  fanner 
from  the  neighborhood  of  Pittsburgh  or  Cincinnati  sees  a  piece 
of  land  on  the  lower  Mississippi,  in  one  of  his  boating  expedi 
tions,  which  pleases  him,  he  returns  home,  sells  out,  builds  an 
ark,  embarks  with  his  family,  and   committing  himself  to  the 
waves,,  after  a  voyage  of  five  or  six  weeks,  arrives  at  his  new 
home,  ties  his  ark  to  a  tree,  removes  his  house,  stock  and  family 
to  dry  land,    commences  chopping   down   the  forest,  opens    a 
wood-yard,  becomes  thrifty,  buys  negroes,  grows  rich,  and  is  at 
last  a  planter.     Many  of  the  first  families  in  the  Southwestern 
country,  after  travelling  to  Pittsburg  from  the  Atlantic  cities, 
have  committed  themselves  to  an  ark  and  so  come  to  this  coun 
try.     We  have  passed  two  of  these  floating  houses  to-day.     On 
the  last  one,  was  an  old  grey-headed  man  and  an  equally  ancient 
female,  comfortably  clothed  in  coarse  materials,  sunning  them 
selves  and  smoking  their  pipes,  in  the  low  space  left  on  the  bot 
tom  of  the  ark  between  the  dwelling   and  the  stock-pen.     A 
middle-aged  stout  yeoman  in  a  long-tailed  blue  jean  coat  and 


182  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

snuff-colored  trowsers,  was  standing  bareheaded  at  the  long 
paddle  which  served  as  a  helm,  shading  his  eyes  with  his  hair  as 
he  stared  at  our  parsing  boat.  Two  women  in  caps  and  coarse 
but.  tidy  gowns  were  seated  near  him  on  the  top  of  the  dwelling 
(which  was  the  upper  deck  of  the  ark)  knitting.  Half  a  dozen 
\vliite-headed  urchins  were  crowded  in  a  low  door,  straining 
their  eyes  at  the  grand  steamboat,  and  three  or  four  large  dogs 
equally  curious,  were  gazing  at  us  from  the  top  of  the  cow-pen. 
A  fire  burned  on  the  bottom  of  the  ark,  between  the  two  habit 
able  divisions ;  the  hearth  was  a  rude  pile  of  brick,  with  an  old 
stove-pipe  for  chimney.  The  pot  was  boiling  and  a  third  female 
was  preparing  the  evening  meal.  Two  strapping  fellows  in  their 
shirt-sleeves,  working  mechanically  but  idly  at  an  oar,  two  or 
three  chickens  and  a  proud  cock  strutting  about,  a  lamb,  which 
appeared  licensed  to  stray  from  the  pen  as  a  pet,  the  head  of  a 
good-natured  looking  cow  protruding  from  a  window,  completed 
the  whole.  It  was  altogether  so  pretty  a  picture  of  domestic 
happiness,  that  I  could  not  help  looking  upon  it  without  feelings 
of  envy. 

The  flatboat  is  somewhat  similar  in  its  construction  to  the  ark, 
which  is  the  most  primitive  mode  of  navigation.  The  flatbuat 
is  made  to  convey  freight.  It  is  a  covered  shed,  five  or  six  feet 
high,  with  a  bottom  sufficiently  strong  to  sustain  it,  and  imper 
vious  to  water.  This  shed  is  covered  by  a  double  layer  of 
boards,  laid  so  as  to  be  water-tight,  and  bent  over  a  ridge-pole 
running  through  the  centre  from  stem  to  stern,  so  as  to  form  a 
curve  sufficient  to  shed  rain.  A  portion  of  the  boat  at  the  bows, 
which  are  square,  is  set  off  for  a  caboose  and  sleeping-place  for 
the  hands,  of  which  there  are  usually  from  four  to  six.  The 
remainder  is  filled  with  freight.  Some  of  these  boats  will  carry 
from  eight  to  twelve  hundred  barrels  of  flour;  when  light,  they 
draw  but  six  or  eight  inches,  but  when  loaded,  two  feet  and  a 
half.  Some  of  them  are  laden  altogether  with  flour,  others  with 
horses,  others  with  sheep,  or  pork  alive  and  in  barrels,  fowls, 
cattle  and  produce  of  all  kinds;  some  are  even  freighted  with 
negroes,  purchased  in  Virginia,  and  embarked  at  Guyandotte  on 
the  Ohio.  When  flatboats  are  unladen  of  their  freight,  they  are 


SCENES    ON    THE    MISSISSIPPI. 


183 


Bold  for  what  they  will  bring,  which  is  from  twenty  to  sixty 
dollars,  and  the  owners  return  home  for  ten  dollars  on  a  steam 
boat.  Keelboats  are  not  so  commonly  seen  now  as  formerly. 
They  are  in  number  about  as  one  to  ten  compared  witli  flatboats. 
They  are  of  similar  construction  to  the  freighting  canal-boat, 
and  used  for  the  same  purposes.  They  are  sometimes  assisted  in 
descending  the  river  by  a  square  sail,  and  altogether  cut  a  better 
figure  than  the  ark  or  flatboat.  Before  the  introduction  of 
steamboats,  the  keelboat  was  the  sole  medium  of  river  commerce. 
Leaving  its  freight  in  New  Orleans,  and  re-loading  with  pur 
chased  articles  (both  comforts  and  luxuries)  it  was  propelled  up 
the  Mississippi,  with  great  labor,  by  poling  along  the  banks  of 
the  river,  and  laying  to  every  night.  A  voyage  from  Pittsburg 
to  New  Orleans,  at  that  period,  often  consumed  five  months. 
It  can  now  be  made  in  thirty  days.  The  keelboats  are  now  dis 
posed  of  with  their  cargoes  at  New  Orleans,  being  in  great 
demand  as  oyster  barges,  for  which,  witli  some  change,  they 
are  admirably  fitted.  The  broadhorn  is  only  a  larger  and  squarer 
species  of  tiatboat. 

The  river  has  been  very  rough  all  the  afternoon.  There  is 
considerable  motion  to  the  boat,  and  two  or  three  fresh-water 
passengers  are  complaining  of  feeling  a  slight  degree  of  sea 
sickness!  Sea-sickness  on  the  Mississippi,  five  hundred  miles 
above  its  mouth!  Nevertheless,  the  boat  rocks,  the  joints  of 
the  cabin  creak,  the  lamps  swing  from  side  to  side,  the  wind 
roars,  and  the  waves  show  white  caps,  and  we  are  in  the  midst 
of  a  regular  ^rale  of  wind.  The  surface  of  the  country  through 
which  we  are  sailing  is  for  a  hundred  miles  only  a  few  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  river,  and  the  wind  sweeps  over  it 
as  it  would  over  a  sea.* 

Yicksburg,  in  1836-7,  was  a  remarkable  place.  Like  so 
many  flourishing  towns  along  the  great  lakes  and  rivers  of 
the  West,  it  had  sprung  into  existence  as  if  by  magic.  The 
city  was  younger  than  half  the  children  who  played  about 


*  Correspondence  of  the  Natch&t  Courier,  April,  1887. 


MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 


its  streets.*     As  the  shipping  point  for  a  rich  and  rapidly 

growing  cotton  region,  its  business  was  very  large.     Cap 

ital  and   population  flowed  in  from  every  quarter.     Mag 

nificent  steamers,  freighted    with  the  products  of  our  own 

and   distant   climes,   were   perpetually   stopping    on    their 

way  to  and  from  New  Orleans,  Nashville,  St.  Louis,  Cin 

cinnati,  or  Louisville  ;    and   rarely  did   an   up-river   boat 

arrive  without  landing  one  or  more  passengers  in  pursuit  of 

fortune.     Vicksburg  was,  in  fact,  a  sort  of  rendezvous  for 

planters,    lawyers,    physicians,    schoolmasters,    mechanics, 

clerks,    and  merchants,  who,    in  search  of  business,  were 

emigrating  to  the  Southwest  from  New  England,  Virginia, 

North  and  South  Carolina,  Kentucky,  Tennessee,  and  other 

parts  of  the    Union.     In   this  respect  it  was  a  miniature 

picture  of  what  San  Francisco  now  is  in  relation  to  Califor 

nia.     The  character  and  manners  of  these  strange  men,  as 

they  congregated  in  the  hall  and  dining-room  of  the  princi 

pal  hotel,  furnished  study  for  a  philosopher.     One  skilled 

in  the  art  of  American  physiognomy,   could  detect,  at  a 

glance,  representatives  of  every  race    and    tribe,  whether 

foreign  or  domestic,  of  our  great  Republican  Family. 

At  an  earlier  period  of  its  history,  Vicksburg  was 
inhabited  chiefly  by  this  class  of  persons  ;  interspersed  with 
not  a  few  specimens  of  the  genus  blackleg.  But  the  latter 


*  Vicksburg  is  visible  nearly  ten  miles  before  reaching  it,  on  going  up  the  river 
Its  situation  is  highly  romantic  ;  it  is  built  on  a  congregation  of  hills,  which  slope 

sruptly  to  the  water.  From  the  foot  of  this  irregular  side  to  the  summit,  the 
dwellings  are  scattered  in  the  most  picturesque  manner.  The  street*  parallel  with 
the  river  rise  one  above  the  other,  so  that  the  galleries  of  the  houses  on  one  often 
project  over  the  roofs  of  those  on  the  other.  Cottages  in  every  shape  and  form 
.lerched  on  every  accessible  point  on  the  cliffs,  add  much  to  the  beauty  of  the  place.' 
The  population  has  doubled  within  four  years.  The  act  which  cleared  the  place  of 
a  moral  pestilence  is,  doubtless,  a  bad  precedent— but  it  was  the  death-blow  to  a 
system  of  iniquity,  which  had  got  to  be  stronger  than  the  laws.  The  commercial 
growth  of  Vicksburg  in  the  last  three  years  is  unprecedented  in  this  region.— Cor- 
Despondence  of  the  Natchez  Courier,  April,  1837 


VICKSBURG    IN    1836-7.  185 

bad  been  driven  off — and  the  advent  of  woman  had  called 
into  being  many  pleasant  and  cultivated  homes.  Churches 
and  schools  were  not  wanting.  The  place  had  outgrowL 
the  somewhat  wild,  boisterous  temper  of  its  youth,  and  was 
settling  down  into  an  orderly,  social  and  domestic  life. 

The  years  1835  and  1836  will  ever  be  memorable  in  the 
annals  of  this  country,  for  the  spirit  of  reckless  speculation 
which  seized  upon  all  classes  in  the  community,  and  made 
them  frantic  in  the  pursuit  of  gain.  To  how  many  hundreds 
of  families  throughout  New  England  is  the  phrase  Eastern 
Land  Speculation  still  the  symbol  of  pecuniary  ruin  !  The 
mania  spread  through  the  nation  ;  but  there  were  particu 
lar  points,  where  it  raged  with  especial  violence.  One  of 
these  was  Yicksburg.  In  the  autumn  of  1836,  strangers, 
who  had  scarcely  registered  their  names  at  the  hotel,  were 
eagerly  buying  city  lots  ;  and  perhaps  the  next  week, 
selling  them  again  at  an  advance  of  ten,  twenty,  or  thirty 
per  cent.  In  this  way,  by  mere  attendance  upon  auctions, 
every  man  was  expecting  soon  to  be  master  of  a  fortune 
It  was  a  singular  infatuation  ;  but  the  spring  nipped  it  in 
the  bud.  Gen.  Jackson  had  laid  his  s^-ong  hand  upon  tho 
currency,  and  before  the  ides  of  MarcL,  the  whole  monetary 
system  of  the  country  was  gasping  beneath  the  pressure  of 
that  iron  will.  There  was  not  a  sequestered  village  or 
hamlet  in  the  land,  which  did  not  feel  its  touch — while  the 
great  commercial  centres  were  convulsed  with  terror,  dis 
tress  and  bankruptcy.  In  April,  1837,  cotton  was  selling 
in  New  York  at  nine  and  a  half  cents  per  pound,  which  in 
December  of  the  previous  year,  had  been  sold  for  nineteen 
cents  per  pound.  No  State  in  the  Union  was  a  greater 
sufferer  than  Mississippi,  and  perhaps  no  town  in  the  State 
was  so  sorely  smitten  as  Vicksburg.  The  sudden  and  extra 
ordinary  fall  of  cotton  deprived  the  State  of  nearly  two- 
thirds  of  its  expected  income  ;  while  lands  and  lots  about 


'86  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 


Vicksburg,  which,  in  October,  were  bought  with  avidity 
at  the  most  extravagant  rates,  found,  in  April  follow- 
ing,  no  bidder,  at  a  reduction  of  two  and  even  three 
hundred  per  cent.  The  stranger  who  came  in  the  autumn 
and  departed  in  the  spring,  could,  with  difficulty,  believe 
that  he  had  visited,  and  was  leaving,  one  and  the  same 
place. 


MEETING    OF    THE    LEGISLATURE.  181 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

Adjourned  Session  of  the  Legislature— Mr.  Prentiss'  Speech  on  the  Question  of 
admitting  the  Delegates  from  the  New  Counties— Protest  against  their  Admis 
sion — Resigns  his  seat. 

^Ex.  28.     1837. 

EARLY  in  January  183T,  the  Legislature  met  pursuant  to 
adjournment.  One  of  the  first  acts  of  the  House  of  Repre 
sentatives  was  to  admit  as  a  component  part  of  the  body, 
ten  persons  claiming  to  represent  certain  new  counties, 
which  had  been  created  at  the  previous  session  of  the  same 
Legislature.  It  is  a  curious  instance  of  the  facilty  with 
which  a  Constitution  may  be  set  at  naught,  when  the 
majority  choose  to  do  it.  The  act,  however,  was  not  accom 
plished  without  vigorous  opposition,  and  a  clear  prediction 
of  the  consequences  which  were  likely  to  ensue.  One  of 
Mr.  Prentiss's  speeches  on  the  question,  is  fortunately  pre 
served,  and  a  better  tribute  could  not  be  desired  to  the 
high-toned  principle,  the  reverence  for  Law  and  Constitution, 
which  actuated  his  public  life.  We  give  the  larger  por 
tion  of  this  speech.  Some  passages  are  strikingly  prophe 
tic  of  coming  events  in  the  political  history  of  Mississippi  : — 

I  had  hoped,  Mr.  Speaker,  when  the  gentleman  from  Adams 
introduced  the  resolution  which  has  just  been  read,  that  the 
task  of  opposing  it  would  have  been  assumed  by  some  one  more 
able  than  myself.  Had  this  been  tte  case.  I  might  have  been 


MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENT1SS. 

Contented  with  a  mere  vote.  But,  viewing  this  resolution  in  the 
light  I  do,  I  should  violate  every  sense  of  duty,  where  I  to 
remain  silent  because  others  will  not  speak.  Sir,  the  gentle- 
man  from  Adams  seems  to  think  that  the  resolution  is  a  matter 
of  course,  and  ought  to  pass  sub  silentio.  I  differ  from  the  gen 
tleman.  He  cannot  so  easily  introduce  his  Trojan  horse  within 
these  walls.  I,  for  one,  will  hurl  a  spear  against  its  hollow 
sides. 

Sir,  I  look  upon  this  resolution  as  a  bomb-shell  thrown  into 
this  house.  The  gentleman  from  Adams  has  lighted  the  match, 
and  if  this  house  do  not  extinguish  it— if  the  heel  of  the  majority 
be  not  placed  upon  it— there  will  be  left  by  its  explosion  no 
vestige  of  constitution  or  law.  It  may  appear  to  the  common 
eye  as  a  little  cloud,  no  larger  than  a  man's  hand,  but  the  politi 
cal  prophet  will  behold  in  it  the  ingredients  of  a  tempest. 

I  know  I  labor  under  many  difficulties  in  opposing  it.  Popular 
opinion  is  in  favor  of  it— the  gentleman  has  the  wind  full  in  his 
sails — while  i  must  row  against  an  adverse  current.  I  trust, 
however,  the  very  fact  that  the  course  I  am  taking  is  one  upon 
which  the  public  eye  will  scowl,  may  afford  a  guarantee  for  the 
honesty  of  my  motives.  I  know  well  it  will  be  said  that  I 
am  the  enemy  of  the  new  counties — that  I  am  hostile  to  the 
rights  of  the  people — that  I  am  opposed  to  democratic  principles, 
and  other  similar  assertions,  by  which  demagogues  answer  argu 
ments. — Sir,  I  throw  down,  in  advance,  my  denial  to  such 
charges.  No  man  in  this  State  feels  a  livelier  interest  in  the 
prosperity  of  the  new  counties  than  I  do.  No  man  has  watched 
with  greater  pleasure  their  rapid  increase  in  wealth,  population 
and  power;  and  did  not  my  oath  to  support  the  constitution 
stand  in  my  way,  no  man  would  welcome  their  delegation  upon 
this  floor  with  a  warmer  greeting. 

But,  sir,  I  have  high  constitutional  duty  before  me,  from  the 
performance  of  which  I  will  not  be  deterred  by  either  fear  or 
favor — by  what  has  been  said  of  others,  or  what  may  be  said  of 
myself. 

I  am  opposed  to  the  resolution  introduced  by  the  gentleman 
from  Adams,  on  two  grounds. 


SPEECH    ON    ADMITTING   THE    XEW-COUXTY    DELEGATES.       189 

First — That,  under  the  constitution,  the  counties  embraced  in 
the  resolution  have  not  a  right,  as  counties,  to  representation  in 
this  house,  at  this  session. 

Secondly — That,  even  if  they  have  the  right  of  representation, 
the  persons  claiming  seats  as  representatives  from  those  counties, 
have  not  been  constitutionally  elected. 

We  will  proceed,  then,  in  the  first  place,  to  examine  the  right 
of  the  new  counties  to  representation  at  this  session  of  the  legis 
lature.  I  start  with  this  proposition — that  the  right  of  repre 
sentation  must  be  derived  from  the  constitution,  and  the  laws 
made  in  pursuance,  thereof.  Gentlemen  have  talked  of  the 
natural  right  of  representation  as  if  it  were  something  existing 
beyond,  and  independent  of,  the  constitution.  Will  gentlemen 
be  so  good  as  to  explain  to  me  what  they  mean  by  the  term  ? 
I  understand  the  right  of  representation  to  be  merely  a  conven 
tional  right.  It  has  its  origin  solely  in  the  constitution.  It  is 
entirely  the  creature  of  compact.  By  the  constitutions  of  some 
States,  it  is  based  upon  property  and  population  combined,  in 
others,  upon  population  alone.  A  natural  right  of  representation 
is  an  absurdity* 

Let  us,  then,  look  into  the  constitution  of  this  State,  and  see 
what  are  its  provisions  in  relation  to  representation. 

The  first  great  principle  is,  that  it  is  based  upon  free  white 
population  alone.  Property,  by  our  constitution,  cannot  bo 
represented. 

The  next  provision  relates  to  the  mode  in  which  this  general 
right  of  representation  shall  be  exercised.  If  the  right  existed 
only  in  general  terms,  without  any  mode  pointing  out  how  it 
should  be  apportioned  or  exercised,  it  would  be  perfectly  nuga 
tory.  How  could  a  general  provision,  giving  the  right  of 
representation  to  all  the  free  white  population  of  the  State,  be 
carried  into  effect,  unless  there  was  also  a  provision  parcelling  it 
out  to  different  portions  of  the  community,  and  directing  the 
mode  of  its  exercise  ?  A  constitution,  having  no  such  provision, 
would  be  still-born.  It  would  have  no  vitality.  No  government 
could  be  set  agoing  under  it.  Our  constitution,  however,  is  not 
obnoxious  to  these  remarks.  It  contains  within  itself  ample 


190  •»  MEMOIR    OP     S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

provisions  for  enabling  the  people  to  avail  themselves  of  their 
general  right  of  representation.  The  convention  which  framed 
the  instrument,  provided,  in  the  5th  section  of  the  schedule,  for 
the  first  legislature  or  representative  body,  specifically  directing 
how  the  election  should  be  conducted ;  and  mark  you,  Mr. 
Speaker,  especially  directing  that  writs  of  election  should  be 
issued  by  the  president  of  the  convention.  The  6th  clause  of 
the  same  schedule  says:  "Until  the  first  enumeration  shall  be 
made,  as  directed  by  this  constitution,  the  apportionment  of  sen 
ators  and  repesentatives  among  the  several  districts  and  counties 
in  this  State  shall  remain  as  at  pressent  fixed  by  law."  Let  us 
examine  for  a  moment,  what  limitations  there  were  to  the 
powers  of  the  first  legislature,  in  relation  to  its  organization — for 
it  Avill  throw  some  light  upon  the  main  question  in  controversy. 
Could  that  legislature,  before  an  enumeration,  even  by  a  joint 
action  of  both  houses,  have  increased,  at  that  session,  the  numbei 
of  senators  or  representatives  beyond  the  number  and  apportion 
ment  which  by  law  then  existed?  Has  not  the  6th  section  of 
the  schedule,  above  cited,  positively  fixed  the  number  of  senators 
and  representatives  in  the  first  legislature,  and  apportioned  them 
according  to  the  then  existing  law?  Is  not  this  6th  section  a 
constitutional  organization  of  the  first  legislature,  as  to  numbers 
and  apportionment?  Would  not  the  admission  of  an  additional 
number  of  persons  into  either  branch,  before  an  enumeration  had 
taken  place,  have  been  a  violation  of  that  section  of  the  schedule, 
and  a  disorganization  of  that  body  ?  In  other  words,  is  not  a 
change  of  constitutional  organization  disorganization  ? 

Now  let  us  advance  a  step  further,  and  see  how  the  present 
legislature  came  into  existence,  and  what  are  the  powers  of  its 
respective  branches.  Every  legislature,  after  the  first,  must  claim 
its  constitutional  origin  from  the  9th  and  10th  sections  of  the  3d 
article  of  the  constitution,  which  are  as  follows  : 

SEO.  9.  "  The  legislature  shall,  at  their  first  session,  and  at 
periods  of  not  less  than  every  four,  nor  more  than  every  six  years, 
until  the  year  1845,  and  thereafter  at  periods  of  not  less  than 
four,  nor  more  than  every  eight  years,  cause  an  enumeration  to 
be  made  of  all  the  free  white  inhabitants  of  this  State,  and  tha 


SPEECH.  x91 

whole  number  of  representatives  shall,  at  the  several  periods  of 
making  such  enumerations,  be  fixed  by  the  legislature,  and 
apportioned  among  the  several  counties,  cities  or  towns  entitled 
to  separate  representation,  according  to  the  number  of  free  white 
inhabitants  in  each,  and  shall  not  be  less  than  thirty-six  nor 
more  than  one  hundred;  provided,  however,  that  each  county 
shall  always  be  entitled  to  at  least  one  representative." 

SEC.  10.  "  The  whole  number  of  senators  shall,  at  the  several 
periods  of  making  the  enumeration  before  mentioned,  be  fixed 
by  the  legislature  and  apportioned  among  the  several  districts, 
to  be  established  by  law,  according  to  the  number  of  free  white- 
inhabitants  in  each,  and  shall  never  be  less  than  one-fourth,  nor 
more  than  one-third,  of  the  whole  number  of  representatives.1' 

Here  are  the  two  sections  of  the  constitution  under  which  the 
present  legislature  was  organized,  so  far  as  the  number  of  the 
senators  and  representatives  is  concerned. 

When  this  session  of  the  legislature  commenced,  on  the  first 
of  January,  1836,  each  senator  came  from  a  district  to  which  the 
right  of  senatorial  representation  had  been  previously  apportion 
ed  by  law,  and  every  representative  took  his  seat  by  virtue  of  a 
law  of  apportionment  giving  to  that  portion  of  the  country  which 
he  claimed  to  represent  a  right  to  that  amount  or  portion  of 
representation.  Did  not  the  legi.-lature  of  the  State  of  Mississippi, 
at  the  commencement  of  this  session,  to  wit :  on  the  first  of 
January,  1836,  comprise  the  whole  representative  power  of  the 
government  under  the  constitution  ?  and  was  not  the  whole  free 
white  population  of  this  State  represented,  at  that  time,  upon 
this  floor  ?  The  number  of  the  house  of  representatives  was  sixty- 
four,  which  number  had  been  fixed  by  an  act  of  the  legislature, 
passed  in  December,  1833;  and  that  number  was,  by  said  act, 
apportioned,  in  pursuance  of  the  9th  section  of  the  3d  article  oi 
the  constitution,  among  the  several  counties  of  the  State — there 
being,  it  seems,  at  that  time,  no  cities  or  towns  entitled  to  sepa 
rate  representation. 

Now,  the  gentlemen  who  have  advocated  this  resolution 
admit,  that  on  the  first  day  of  this  session,  this  house  consisted 
constitutionally  of  sixty-four  members  only,  which  sixiy-fom 


192  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

members  represented  all  the  free  white  population  of  the  State, 
In  other  words,  they  admit  that  the  same  free  white  inhabitants, 
who  now  claim  an  addition  of  ten  members,  were,  at  the  com 
mencement  of  this  session,  fully  and  constitutionally  represented 
on  this  floor.  Has  any  vacancy  occurred  in  the  representation 
which  they  then  had  ?  I  see  my  friend  from  Washington  county 
in  his  seat.  Whom  did  lie  represent  at  the  commencement  ot 
this  session  ?  Every  one  knows  that  he  represented  the  whole 
of  the  free  white  inhabitants  of  that  section  of  country  which 
now  composes  the  counties  of  Washington,  Bolivar  and  Koaho- 
ma.  Does  he  still  represent  them  ?  N"o  one  will  doubt  his 
capacity  to  do  so.  I  do  not  doubt  his  right.  For  what  period 
of  time  was  this  power  delegated  to  him  ?  The  constitu 
tion  says  for  two  years.  Has  that  time  yet  elapsed  ?  It  has 
not.  Yet  I  see  in  this  resolution  a  proposition  to  admit  another 
member  upon  this  floor,  to  represent  the  free  white  inhabitants 
of  the  county  of  Bolivar.  Isow  I  hold  that  two  men  cannot  at 
the  same  time  constitutionally  occupy  the  same  office.  Either 
my  friend  from  Washington  is  no  longer  the  representative  ot 
the  free  white  inhabitants  living  in  the  county  of  Bolivar,  who 
sent  him  here,  or  the  gentleman  claiming  to  represent  the  same 
people  has  no  right  to  represent  them.  The  electors  living  in 
the  county  of  Bolivar  have  once  voted  for  a  representative  in  this 
session  of  the  legislature.  He  is  here,  and  has  not  resigned  any 
portion  of  the  power  delegated  to  him.  I  know  of  no  constitu 
tional  right  which  the  people  of  the  county  of  Bolivar  have  to 
resume  the  power  which  they  have  delegated,  before  the  lapse 
of  the  two  years  for  which  they  have  delegated  it.  I  have 
instanced  the  county  of  Bolivar  merely  by  way  of  illustration; 
the  same  observations  will  apply  to  the  others. 

At  the  commencement  of  this  session,  this  legislature  created 
thirteen  new  counties,  and  shortly  after  adjourned  over  to  this 
winter.  This  adjournment  was  nothing  more  than  an  adjourn 
ment  from  day  to  day.  We  met  here  on  the  first  Monday  in 
January,  1837 — the  same  body  precisely  in  our  constitutional 
organization  as  we  were  on  first  of  January,  1836.  We  have, 
with  those  who  have  been  elected  to  fill  vacancies,  sixty-four 


SPEECH.  193 

members.  Our  body  is  already  full,  and  contains  the  whole 
representative  power  of  the  government  which  belongs  to  a 
nouse  of  representatives.  How,  then,  can  we  admit  ten  addi 
tional  persons,  as  members,  without  parting  with  a  portion  of 
'lie  power  belonging  to  us  ?  Have  we  a  right  to  part  with  it  ? 
Oan  we  give  up  to  others  a  portion  of  our  delegated  power  ?  If 
so,  cannot  we  give  up  the  whole  ?  Can  a  legislative  department 
of  the  government  act  by  proxy?  It  is  said  that  each  branch  of 
the  legislature  has  the  right  to  judge  of  its  own  organization  ; 
and  that,  from  the  necesity  of  th^  case,  this  house  has  the  right 
to  decide  whether  the  new  counties  are  entitled  to  representa 
tion.  I  deny  that  this  house  has,  either  under  the  constitution 
or  from  necessity,  any  jurisdiction  over  this  matter.  I  lay  down 
two  propositions,  and  challenge  their  refutation. 

1st.  That,  where  the  constitution  has  given  to  any  depart 
ment  of  government  the  jurisdiction  over  a  matter,  and  that 
department  has,  in-  pursuance  of  that  jurisdiction,  acted  and 
finally  decided  upon  such  matter,  no  other  department,  or  por 
tion  of  a  department,  can  revise  or  change  such  action  and 
decision,  unless  the  constitution  expressly  authorizes  such 
revision. 

2d.  One  branch  of  the  legislature  of  this  State  has  no  power 
to  repeal  or  alter  a  law,  constitutionally  passed  by  the  wholo 
legislature. 

Now,  I  assert  that  the  question  of  the  number  of  this  house,  afc 
this  session,  as  well  as  the  question  of  what  counties  members 
ehall  come  from,  has  been  acted  upon  and  decided  by  a  depart 
ment  of  this  government,  to  which;  the  constitution  has  given 
full  and  exclusive  jurisdiction  to  decide  upon  the  matter;  and 
that,  consequently,  we  have  no  right  to  meddle  with  it.  I  fur 
ther  assert,  that  our  action  cannot  make  these  gentlemen 
members,  unless  this  house  has  the  power,  by  a  simple  resolution, 
to  repeal  an  act  of  the  legislature  constitutionally  passed. 

The  9th  clause  of  the  3d  article  of  the  constitution,  just  read, 
expressly  gives  to  the  legislature  the  power  and  jurisdiction,  at 
periods  of  not  less  than  four,  nor  more  than  six  years,  of  fixing 
the  number  of  representatives  who  shall  compose  the  represen- 

9 


194  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

tattre  body,  until  the  next  period  of  enumeration ;  and  also  to 
apportion  such  number  among  the  counties,  cities  and  towns 
entitled  to  separate  representation.  The  legislature  in  December, 
1833,  did,  under  this  clause,  fix  the  number  of  representatives, 
until  the  next  enumeration  period,  at  sixty-four,  which  number 
they  apportioned  among  the  different  counties.  Was  this  law, 
when  passed,  constitutional  ?  If  so,  when  did  it  become  uncon 
stitutional?  If  it  is  still  a  constitutional  law,  what  right  has 
this  house,  by  a  mere  resolution,  to  change  or  repeal  it?  That 
act  of  the  legislature  fixed  the  number  of  this  house,  for  the 
present  session,  at  sixty-four.  If  we  make  that  number  seventy- 
four,  is  not  this  house  assuming  a  power  given  by  the  constitu 
tion  to  the  whole  legislature  only  ?  And  is  not  this  house 
changing,  by  simple  resolution,  a  constitutional  law?  Again, 
by  claiming  the  right  to  judge  in  this  matter,  we  deprive  the 
senate  of  a  portion  of  their  constitutional  power.  The  senate 
has  as  much  power,  under  the  constitution,  to  change  the  num 
ber  and  apportionment  of  the  house  of  representatives  as 
the  house  itself.  Yet  does  any  man  doubt  that  a  resolution 
of  the  senate,  increasing  our  body  by  the  addition  of  ten  mem 
bers,  would  be  a  nullity  ?  But  the  constitution  has  not  intrusted 
to  either  body  the  power  of  judging  of  how  many  members  it 
shall  consist,  or  from  what  districts,  counties,  cities  or  towns 
they  shall  come.  This  power  is  given  to  the  legislature,  and 
that,  too,  with  the  limitation  that  it  cannot  be  exercised  oftener 
than  once  in  four  years.  The  conclusion,  to  which  this  reason 
ing  brings  my  mind,  is,  that  neither  branch  of  the  legislature 
has  the  power  to  change  its  organization  as  fixed  by  law,  either 
in  regard  to  the  number  of  members  which  shall  constitute  the 
body,  or  the  right  of  representation  from  any  particular  portion 
of  territory. 

Our  attempt  to  act  alone  in  this  matter  is  clearly  an  infringe 
ment  upon  the  constitutional  right  of  the  senate  to  partake  in 
such  action ;  and  if  that  body  view  the  matter  as  I  do,  they 
will,  upon  the  passage  of  this  resolution,  and  the  increase  of  our 
number  to  seventy -four,  be  bound  not  to  recognize  us  as  a  con 
stitutional  body.  The  senate,  in  1833,  assisted  in  the  organiza- 


SPEECH.  196 

tion  of  this  house,  as  did  the  house  in  the  orgL/iizaticn  of  the 
senate,  so  far  as  numbers  and  apportionment  are  concerned. 
Eacli  of  these  bodies  is,  therefore,  not  only  presumed,  but  com 
pelled,  to  know  what  the  constitutional  organization  of  the 
other  is,  in  these  two  respects.  It  necessarily  follows  that  each 
body  is  bound  to  notice  when  the  other  becomes  disorganized 
and  unconstitutional. 

There  are  some  matters,  in  relation  to  the  organization  of  this 
house,  of  which  we  are  the  sole  judges,  and  which,  after  our 
decision  thereupon,  cannot,  of  course,  be  noticed  by  any  other 
department.  Thus,  the  constitution  makes  "  each  house  the 
judge  of  the  qualification  and  election  of  its  own  members." 
But  it  is  clear  that  there  must  be,  in  the  first  instance,  a  right 
of  membership,  before  any  question  can  legitimately  arise  on  the 
subject  of  qualification  or  election. 

The  jurisdiction  over  the  subject  of  qualifications  and  mode  of 
election  is  not  a  jurisdiction  over  the  subject  of  the  right  of  re 
presentation.  Jt  seems  to  me,  the  conclusion  is  irresistible  that 
the  organization  of  this  house,  so  far  as  members  and  apportion 
ment  are  concerned,  belongs  constitutionally  to  the  whole  legis 
lature,  and  that  the  further  organization,  as  to  questions  of 
qualification  and  election,  belongs  exclusively  to  the  house.  If 
this  conclusion  is  correct,  the  resolution  of  the  gentleman  from 
Adams  is  in  direct  violation  of  constitution  and  law;  and,  if 
carried  into  effect,  will  disorganize  and  destroy  this  body.  But, 
the  gentlemen  say,  there  is,  in  the  constitution,  an  express  ckuse 
giving  to  each  county,  the  moment  it  is  created,  a  right  to  at 
least  one  representative.  As  this  is  the  only  argument  in  favor 
of  this  addition  to  our  numbers,  which  professes  to  be  drawn 
from  the  constitution,  I  will  examine  and  test  its  force.  I  believe, 
however,  Mr.  Speaker,  I  am  mistaken  in  saying  it  is  the  only 
argument  drawn  from  that  sourse.  The  gentleman  from  Adams 
has  commenced  one  upon  what  he  calls  the  corner-stone  of  the 
constitution,  to  wit :  the  first  clause  of  the  T5ill  of  Eights,  which 
declares  that  all  men  are  free  and  equal.  In  what  manner  the 
gentleman  will  bring  this  to  bear  on  the  question  under  discus 
sion,  I  confess  I  am  at  a  loss  to  know.  I  eho'-dd  imagine,  how 


196  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

ever,  that,  upon  so  broad  a  foundation,  it  would  require  much 
labor  and  long  time  to  erect  an  argument.  But  to  return  :  even 
if  there  was,  in  the  constitution,  an  express  provision  giving  to 
each  county,  the  moment  it  is  created,  a  right  of  immediate 
representation,  still  the  house  has  no  power  to  act  in  the  matter 
without  the  concurrence  of  the  senate.  It  requires  a  legislative 
act  to  change  the  number  previously  fixed  by  law.  But  I  deny 
there  is  any  such  clause  in  the  constitution  as  the  one  alluded  to. 
I  wish  to  be  distinctly  understood.  I  deny  that  there  is  any 
provision  in  the  constitution  which  gives  always,  to  each  county, 
at  least  one  representative.  The  words  which  have  been  so 
often,  and  so  triumphantly,  used  in  this  debate,  as  giving  to  each 
county  a  right  of  representation  at  the  moment  of  its  creation, 
constitute  a  small  portion  of  a  sentence,  and  instead  of  being  a 
substantial  provision,  asserting  a  positive  right,  compose  but  a 
proviso,  directing  and  limiting  the  power  of  the  legislature, 
given  in  the  previous  part  of  the  sentence.  The  words  as 
used  in  argument,  are,  u  Provided,  however,  that  each  county 
shall  be  entitled  to  at  least  one  representative."  Now  this  is 
a  proviso;  and  the  only  way  to  ascertain  its  meaning  is 
to  look  at  the  previous  portion  of  the  clause,  and  see  to  what  it 
applies. 

A  proviso  is  a  limitation  of  that  which  precedes  it.  It  is  not 
a  substantive  provision  ;  it  has  no  force  or  meaning  except  when 
taken  in  connection  with  the  subject  matter  which  it  limits  and 
to  which  it  relates.  What  does  this  proviso  limit,  and  to  what 
does  it  relate?  I  answer,  unhesitatingly,  that  it  limits  and 
relates  to  the  previous  portion  of  the  ninth  section  of  the  third 
article  of  the  constitution,  to  which  it  is  attached.  What,  then, 
is  the  previous  portion  of  the  ninth  section?  It  is  composed 
solely  of  directions  to  the  legislature,  on  the  subject  of  enumera 
tion,  and  the  fixing  and  apportionment  of  representation. 
This  clause  of  the  constitution  does  not  assert  anything  of  itself 
to  which  the  proviso  can  attach  :  it  is  entirely  directory.  If  it 
be  not  a  limitation  upon  the  action  of  the  legislature,  which  is 
the  subject  matter  of  the  section,  to  what  is  it  a  limitation  ?  To 
test  this,  let  us  throw  out  of  the  section  all  the  direction  to  the 


SPEECH.  197 

legislature,  and  see  whether  there  is  anything  left  to  support  a 
proviso.  There  is  not  a  word  of  the  clause  left.  This  proviso, 
then,  is  a  limitation  of  the  action  of  the  legislature,  or  it  is  a 
limitation  of  nothing.  If,  then,  it  is  a  limitation  of  the  action 
of  the  legislature,  as  directed  in  the  previous  part  of  the  section, 
it  can  only  operate  as  a  limitation  upon  the  powers  of  the  legis 
lature  when  that  body  proceeds  to  perform  the  acts  which  thi? 
section  directs  to  be  performed.  The  proviso  is  dormant  until 
the  action  of  the  legislature  arouses  it.  When  the  legislature, 
under  this  section,  causes  an  enumeration  to  be  made,  it  must 
then  proceed  to  fix  the  number  of  representatives;  and,  having 
fixed  the  number,  the  legislature  is  directed  to  apportion  that 
number  "among  the  several  counties,  cities  or  towns,  entitled  to 
separate  representation,  according  to  the  number  of  free  white 
inhabitants  in  each ;  and  the  number  shall  not  be  less  than 
thirty-six,  nor  more  than  one  hundred." 

Here  is  a  limitation  of  the  numbers.  Is  there  no  limitation  of 
the  power  of  the  legislature  in  apportioning  this  number  ?  There 
is.  It  is  limited  by  this  proviso  :  "  Provided,  however,  that  each 
county  shall  always  be  entitled  (by  such  apportionment)  to  at 
least  one  representative."  If  this  view  of  the  subject  is  correct, 
then  this  proviso,  which  has  been  the  watch-word  of  the  friends 
of  the  resolution,  emblazoned  upon  the  banner  under  which  they 
have  fought,  will  turn  out  to  be  nothing  more  than  limitation  of 
the  power  of  the  legislature,  binding  that  body,  whenever  it 
makes  an  apportionment,  "always  to  give  to  each  county,  in 
such  apportionment,  at  least  one  representative."  Great  stress 
has  been  placed  by  gentlemen  upon  the  word  "always."  I  do 
not  perceive  the  force  of  their  argument  on  this  point.  If 
my  construction  of  this  clause  is  correct,  the  word  "  always  " 
relates  to  the  time  of  apportionment.  Each  county  shall 
"always,"  when  the  apportionment  takes  place,  be  entitled  to  ut 
lea-^t  one  representative  in  such  apportionment. 

The  creation  or  formation  of  new  counties,  by  the  legislature, 
is  not  direction  in  that  section,  to  which  the  proviso,  which  I 
have  been  discussing,  is  attached.  If,  then,  my  previous  argu 
ment  is  sound,  the  creation  of  a  new  county  does  not  give  it  a 


198  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

right  of  representation  until  the  time  for  a  new  apportionment 
comes  round.  Since  the  counties  embraced  in  this  resolution 
were  created,  there  has  been  no  enumeration,  and  no  new 
apportionment  of  representatives  ;  the  constitutional  pedod  for 
that  action  of  the  legislature  not  having  yet  arrived.  I  am,  there 
fore,  forced  to  the  conclusion  that  these  new  counties  are  not  con 
stitutionally  entitled,  as  counties,  to  representation  on  this  floor. 

All  those  who  have  spoken  in  favor  of  the  resolution,  except 
the  gentleman  from  Hinds  (  Mr.  Dunlap),  have  predicated  the 
claim  of  the  new  counties  to  representation,  at  the  same  session 
in  which  they  were  created,  upon  the  proviso  to  the  ninth  sec 
tion  of  the  third  article  of  the  constitution.  His  decision  on 
this  subject  is  based  upon  a  different  reason,  which  I  shall  make 
bold  to  notice,  not  because  I  deem  it  of  any  weight,  but  because, 
to  my  utrer  astonishment,  it  seemed  to  have  some  influence 
upon  the  house.  The  gentleman  from  Hinds  tells  us,  that  no 
question  of  constitutional  or  legal  construction  has  ever  embar 
rassed  him  so  much ;  that,  after  the  most  mature  deliberation, 
he  came  to  the  conclusion  that  the  new  counties  had  not  a  right 
of  representation  in  this  session  of  the  legislature.  He  says, 
that  he  has  expressed  this  opinion,  in  public  and  private; 
that  it  is  recorded  in  his  letters  to  his  friends,  and  has  been  pub 
lished  to  the  world. 

The  gentleman  further  told  us,  that,  if  the  question  had  been 
taken  yesterday,  he  should  have  voted  against  the  resolution  ; 
but  that,  to-day,  he  is  prepared  to  part  with  the  cherished 
opinions  of  a  year,  and  accede  to  the  claim  of  the  new  counties, 
to  which  claim  he  had  so  long  been  opposed. 

It  seems  that  since  last  night  a  change  has  come  over  the 
spirit  of  his  dream  ;  the  scales  have  fallen  from  his  eyes  ;  and  a 
new  light  has  burst  upon  his  path,  which  shows  him  that  he  has 
been  walking  in  the  ways  of  error.  But  I  will  not  part  with 
him  so  easily.  We  have  travelled  together  so  long  and  lov 
ingly  in  this  matter,  that  I  must  at  least  keep  some  memento 
of  our  companionship.  Well,  then,  Mr.  Speaker,  as  I  have 
lost  the  benefit  of  the  gentleman's  vote  on  the  side  which 
I  advocate,  I  will  retain  his  opinion.  Though  the  prophet  hae 


SPEECH.  199 

been  taken  from  me,  I  will  hold  fast  bis  mantle,  and  thereby, 
perchance,  I  may  obtain  some  of  the  inspiration.  The  gentle 
man's  opinion  against  the  resolution  was  deliberately  formed, 
and  continued  till  last  night.  His  opinions  in  favor  of  the  reso 
lution  have  been  formed  in  a  hurry,  and  are  but  a  few  hours  old.  - 
On  which  side,  Mr.  Speaker,  would  you  consider  the  weight  of 
the  gentleman's  opinions  to  lie  ?  But  I  should  do  him  injustice 
not  to  examine  the  reason  upon  which  he  has  based  this  sudden 
change.  When  the  gentleman  from  Hinds  informed  the  House 
of  his  change  of  opinion,  and  that  he  intended  to  give  the 
reasons,  I  listened  with  open  ears. 

I  strove  in  vain  to  imagine  what  could  be  the  worm  which  had 
thus,  in  a  single  night,  eaten  away  the  root  of  the  gourd ;  the 
gourd  which,  for  a  year,  had  grown  and  nourished  and  waxed 
mighty,  until  many  people  were  refreshed  beneath  its  protecting 
shelter.  Yesterday  it  was  green  and  beautiful,  and  the  stricken 
prophet  reclined  with  joy  beneath  its  umbrage.  But  lo!  to-day 
it  is  withered,  and  the  hot  sun  beats,  unchecked,  through  its  leaf 
less  branches.  The  gentleman's  reasons  were  few,  but,  unlike 
the  Sibylline  leaves,  they  did  not  increase  in  value  as  they 
diminished  in  number.  Indeed,  if  I  understood  aright,  he 
gave  no  reason  for  his  change,  but  only  a  precedent;  not  an 
argument,  but  only  an  analogy.  He  says  he  changed  his 
deliberate  opinion  upon  this  subject  within  the  last  twenty -four 
hours,  by  reflecting  upon  the  State  of  Arkansas,  and  the  admis 
sion  of  her  members  upon  the  floor  of  Congress.  He  seems  to 
think  it  similar  to  the  case  before  this  house;  and,  if  I  under 
stand  the  mode  of  his  argument,  it  is  this :  A  law  passed  last 
winter,  in  Congress,  making  Arkansas  a  State.  A  law,  also, 
passed  this  legislature  last  winter,  creating  the  new  counties. 
The  senators  and  representative  from  Arkansas  have  taken  their 
seats  at  the  present  session  of  Congress ;  therefore,  the  new 
counties  are  entitled  each  to  an  additional  member  on  this  floor. 
I  remember  but  one  piece  of  logic  which  can  equal  that  of  the 
gentleman  from  Hinds.  It  is  to  be  found  in  the  reasoning  of  the 
honest  Welshman  who  attempted  to  prove  that  Harry  of  Mon- 
mouth  was  like  Alexander  the  Great.  "  There  is  a  river  in 


200  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

Macedon  ;  and  there  is  also,  moreover,  a  river  at  Monmouth 
It  is  called  Wye  at  Monmouth,  but  it  is  out  of  my  praim 
what  is  the  name  of  the  other  river ;  but  Us  all  one—'tis  so 
like  as  my  fingers  is  to  my  fingers,  and  there  is  salmons  in 
both." 

It  is  a  pity  that  Arkansas  came  into  the  Union  just  at  this 
period.  Had  she  put  it  off  yet  a  little  while,  this  excruciating 
analogy  would  not  have  existed  ;  this  overwhelming  argument 
would  not  have  been  made;  the  gentleman's  original  opinion 
would  have  lasted  a  day  longer,  and  I  should  have  had  the  plea 
sure  of  his  countenance  in  the  vote  I  am  about  to  give.  Will 
the  gentleman  permit  me  to  sny,  that  my  intellect  is  too  obtuse 
to  understand  the  force  of  his  illustration.  My  faculties  are  too 
opaque  to  admit  the  light  which  so  brilliantly  illuminates  his 
mind  on  this  subject. 

I  have  attempted  to  show,  in  the  previous  portion  of  my  argu- 
>ient,  that  the  free  white  inhabitants  of  the  new  counties  were, 
at  their  creaiion,  and  now  are,  fully  and  constitutionally  repre 
sented  on  this  floor.  Will  the  gentleman  from  Hinds  be  so  good 
as  to  inform  me  whether  Arkansas  had,  before  the  admission  of 
her  present  members,  any  representatives  in  Congress  ? 

The  gentleman  has  shown  us  in  what  point  the  two  crises  aro 
analogous.  I  will  show  him  where  they  differ:  The  inhabi 
tants  of  Arkansas,  when  it  became  a  State,  had  no  representa 
tive  whatever,  in  either  house  of  Congress.  The  inhabitants  of 
the  new  counties  are  already  represented  in  this  legislature. 

The  senators  from  Arkansas  were  elected  under  a  positive  pro 
vision  of  the  constitution,  and  one  representative  was  given,  or 
apportioned  to  it,  by  the  very  law  which  made  it  a  State.  The 
persons  claiming  seats  from  the  new  counties  were  not  elected 
under  any  clause  of  our  constitution,  nor  did  the  law  creating 
these  counties  give  them  any  right  to  representation.  The  repre 
sentative  from  Arkansas  was,  I  presume,  elected  according  to  tlio 
forms  prescribed  by  the  constitution  and  laws.  So  were  not  the 
persons  from  the  new  counties  who  claim  seats  here.  The 
Arkansas  delegation  did  not  go  into  Congress  at  the  same  session 
in  which  the  State  was  created. 


SPEECH  201 

In  the  present  case,  admission  is  sought  at  the  same  session  at 
which  the  counties  seeking  it  were  framed.  In  conclusion,  per 
mit  me  to  say,  there  is  no  more  similarity  between  the  relations 
which  a  State  bears  towards  the  Federal  Government  and  that 
which  a  county  bears  towards  the  State,  than  there  is  between 
the  opinion  which  the  gentleman  hao  expressed  to-day  and  the 
one  which  he  entertained  yesterday. 

I  have  given  the  gentleman's  Arkansas  argument  more  attention 
perhaps,  than  it  was  entitled  to.  My  excuse  must  be,  that,  as 
far  as  I  could  understand,  it  was  the  only  one  he  professed  to 
offer. 

He  has,  it  is  true,  advanced  certain  abstract  propositions — such 
for  instance,  as  "that  the  people  ought  not  to  be  deprived  of 
their  rights,'1 — and  others  of  a  similar  character,  which  I  dare 
not  deny ;  and  indeed,  as  they  appear  to  be  of  a  very  reasonable 
import,  and  altogether  democratic,  I  believe  I  am  willing  to 
admit  them. 

The  gentleman  has  also  spoken  very  harshly  of  the  constitu 
tion.  He  denounces  it,  in  no  measured  terms,  as  the  offspring 
of  ignorance  and  democracy.  Aye,  Mr.  Speaker,  the  gentleman 
from  Hinds  says  this  constitution  is  too  democratic.  I  agree 
with  him.  I  am  one  of  those  who  opposed  its  adoption.  Last 
winter,  upon  this  very  floor,  I  advocated  the  call  of  a  convention 
to  change  it.  It  has  not,  however,  yet  been  changed ;  and  so 
long  as  it  is  the  constitution,  I  have  sworn  to  support  it.  Aye, 
sir,  I,  who  have  so  long  been  considered  its  enemy,  now  stand  by 
it  in  the  hour  of  its  utmost  extremity.  I  call  upon  its  friends  to 
rally  to  its  rescue — for  its  danger  is  great,  and  its  peril  imminent. 
I  see  some  of  them  who  respond  not  to  the  call.  Though  they 
profess  to  be  its  friends,  yet,  Judas  like,  they  betray  it  with  a 
kiss.  But  the  gentleman  from  Hinds  says  it  is  too  .democratic. 
Sir,  when  he  discharged  this  gun,  was  he  aware  of  the  recoil? 
If  this  constitution  is  too  democratic,  how  democratic  must  he 
be  who  is  willing  to  violate  so  many  of  its  provisions,  to  carry  a 
popular  measure  ?  Sir,  this  too  democratic  constitution  is  rank 
federalism  compared  with  some  of  the  doctrines  advanced  by  the 
gentleman  from  Hinds. 

9* 


202  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    TRENTISS. 

But  enough  of  this;  I  have  given  my  views. and  arguments 
upon  the  right  of  the  new  counties  to  the  representation  which 
they  claim,  and  have  attempted  to  answer  the  prominent  objec 
tions  which  have  been  urged  on  the  other  side.  If  my  answer 
has  been  meagre,  let  it  be  attributed  to  the  paucity  of  the  mate 
rials  furnished  by  the  friends  of  the  resolution. 

And  now,  Mr.  Speaker,  if  I  am  right  in  the  conclusion  to 
which  I  have  arrived  in  relation  to  this  matter,  and  these 
gentlemen  are  permitted  to  take  their  seats  as  members,  and 
participate  in  the  action  of  this  house,  what  will  be  the  effect 
upon  our  proceedings?  I  unhesitatingly  answer  that  it  will 
render  the  whole  of  our  proceedings  null  and  void,  and  I  will  pro 
ceed  to  demonstrate  it.  It  will  be  admitted  that  if  this  house  is 
now  the  constitutional  house  of  representatives,  and  if  it  cannot 
constitutionally  consist  of  more  than  sixty-four  members,  then 
a  body  of  men  purporting  to  be  the  house  of  representatives 
but  consisting  of  seventy-four  members,  cannot  be  the  consti 
tutional  house  of  representatives.  Again:  if,  under  the  consti 
tution,  this  house  must  consist  of  members  from  certain  counties, 
cities  and  towns,  then  a  body  of  men  coming  as  members  from 
other  counties,  cities  and  towns,  cannot  compose  a  consti 
tutional  house  of  representatives,  even  though  they  claim  and 
purport  to  be  so.  I  will  illustrate  the  proposition.  The  High 
Court  of  Errors  and  Appeals  is  limited  by  our  constitution 
to  three  judges,  and  no  law,  decision  or  action  of  that  or  any 
other  department  of  the  government  could  increase  that  number. 
Should  ten  persons,  including  the  old  constitutional  judges,  pur 
port  and  declare  themselves  to  he  the  High  Court  of  Errors  and 
Appeals,  and  attempt  to  act  officially  as  such,  would  the  decision 
of  such  unconstitutional  and  pretended  court  be  binding,  either 
upon  the  citizens  or  any  other  department  of  the  government  ? 
And  would  it  not  be  the  duty  of  every  other  department  to 
refuse  to  notice,  as  a  co-ordinate  department,  such  unconsti 
tutional  and  disorganized  court,  whenever  the  acts  of  such  pre 
tended  court  should  come  officially  before  them?  Suppose  the 
number  of  judges  who  should  compose  the  High  Court  of  Errora 
and  Appeals  had  not  been  fixed  by  the  constitution,  but  had 


SPEECH.  203 

been  left  to  the  legislative  action,  and  that  the  legislature  had, 
by  a  constitutional  law,  fixed  the  number  at  three;  suppose 
such  constitutional  court,  claiming  the  right  as  a  co-ordinate 
department  of  the  government  to  organize  itself  as  it  pleased, 
should  increase  the  number  to  ten,  would  not  the  result  be  the 
same  ?  Would  not  the  action  and  decisions  of  such  disorganized 
body  be  entirely  void?  Would  any  other  department  notice  it: 
or  admit  the  validity  of  its  proceedings  ?  Now,  I  have  attempted 
to  show  that  the  constitution  gave  to  the  legislature  of  1833 
the  jurisdiction  and  power  to  fix  the  number  of  this  house  of 
representatives,  and  to  say  what  counties,  cities  or  towns  should 
be  entitled  to  send  them.  I  have  further  attempted  to  show 
that  the  legislature  of  1833  did,  in  pursuance  of  this  constitu 
tional  power,  fix  the  number  of  representatives,  in  this  session, 
at  sixty-four;  and  did,  in  the  exercise  of  the  same  power,  desig 
nate  and  point  out  the  counties  which  should  send  these  sixty- 
four  members.  I  have  further  attempted  to  prove  that  the 
creation  of  a  county  does  not  necessarily  give  an  immediate 
right  of  representation,  and  that  such  right  does  not  attach  until 
the  regular  time  for  a  new  apportionment  comes  round.  If  I 
have  succeeded  in  proving  these  three  points,  then  I  have  proved 
that  this  house  cannot  constitutionally  consist  of  seventy-four 
members— ten  of  whom  come  from  counties  not  entitled  to 
separate  representation,  either  by  the  constitution  or  any  law 
passed  in  pursuance  thereof.  If,  then,  we  adopt  the  resolution 
before  us,  we  make  this  house  to  consist  of  seventy-four  mem 
bers,  ten  of  whom  will  represent  counties  not  entitled,  under  the 
constitution,  at  this  time,  to  any  separate  representation.  This 
body  will  not,  then,  be  the  constitutional  house  of. representa 
tives;  and,  if  not  the  constitutional  house  of  representatives,  it 
will  not  be  a  department  or  any  portion  of  a  department  of  this 
government. 

But,  say  the  gentlemen,  how  is  this  fact  to  be  ascertained  ? 
This  house  is  now  admitted  to  be  a  constitutional  body.  If  we 
admit  these  persons  as  members,  who  can  inquire  into  our 
action  ?  I  answer,  the  judiciary.  Whenever  an  act,  purport 
ing  upon  this  fact  to  be  a  law,  is  contested  before  any  court,  th« 


204  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

journals  of  both  or  either  branch  of  the  legislature  may  be 
adduced  before  such  court  to  show  that  it  is  not  a  law. 

Each  branch  of  the  legislature  is  required  by  the  constitution 
to  keep  a  journal  of  its  proceedings.  These  journals  are  the 
highest  evidence  known  to  the  law  of  the  land  of  the  action  of 
the  two  houses.  Even  in  Great  Britain,  where  they  have  nc 
written  constitution,  the  journals  of  either  house  of  parliament 
are  considered  by  the  courts  as  public  records,  and  are  received 
as  the  highest  evidence  of  the  action  of  that  body,  whenever 
such  action  becomes  the  subject  of  judicial  investigation.  Such 
is  the  law  as  laid  down  in  all  the  books  on  evidence ;  and  such 
is  the  law  as  derived  from  the  rules  of  common  sense.  For 
what,  I  will  ask,  is  higher  or  better  proof  of  the  action  of  a 
legislative,  body  than  the  journal  of  its  proceedings,  which,  by 
the  constitution,  it  is  bound  to  keep  and  publish.  I  will  mention 
one  or  two  instances,  in  which,  from  necessity,  the  courts  must 
look  into  the  journals  of  a  legislative  body,  and  a  denial  of 
which  right  would  involve  an  absurdity. 

By  an  express  provision  of  our  constitution,  all  revenue  bills 
must  originate  in  this  house ;  •  and  a  revenue  bill  originating  in 
the  senate,  though  passed  with  all  the  legislative  forms,  would 
not  be  law.  But  no  law  shows  upon  its  face  in  which  house  ii 
originated.  If,  then,  a  law  raising  revenue  was  contested  in  the 
courts  on  the  ground  that  it  originated  in  the  senate,  how  is  the 
court  to  ascertain  whether  the  objection  is  founded  in  factS 
Most  assuredly  by  looking  into  the  journals  of  the  proceedings  of 
each  house,  which  are  not  only  the  best,  but  the  sole,  evidence 
of  the  fact,  unless  you  admit  parol  evidence.  If  upon  looking 
into  the  journals  of  the  two  houses,  it  should  appear  that  such 
law  was  originated  in  the  senate,  would  not  the  court  have 
jurisdiction,  and  be  bound  to  pronounce  it  unconstitutional  ? 
Again:  the  constitution  says,  in  the  23d  sec.  of  the  3d  article,  that 
uno  bill  shall  have  the  force  of  a  law  until,  on  three  several 
days,  it  be  read  in  each  house,  and  free  discussion  be  allowed 
thereon,  unless  four-fifths  of  the  house,  in  which  the  bill  shall  be 
pending,  may  deem  it  expedient  to  dispense  with  this  rule.'' 
Now,  no  law  shows  upon  its  face  whether  this  constitutional 


SPEECH. 


205 


role  and  limitation  upon  the  power  of  the  legislature  has  or  has 
not  been  complied  with.  Suppose  a  bill  pass  in  open  violation 
of  this  constitutional  provision,  forced  through  upon  a  single 
reading,  by  a  bare  majority,  will  any  man  pretend  to  say  it  shall 
have  the  force  of  a  law  when  the  constitution  declares  it  shall 
not?  I  contest  such  pretended  law  in  the  courts,  on  the  ground 
that  it  was  not  on  three  several  days  read  in  each  house,  and 
that  the  rule  was  not  dispensed  with  by  four-fifths  of  either 
house.  How  am  I  to  show  this?  The  journals  of  the  two 
houses  are  the  only  evidence  of  the  fact.  Can  any  lawyer,  or 
any  man  of  common  sense,  say  that  I  have  a  right  to  contest 
the  constitutionality  of  a  law,  and  yet  have  no  right  to  avail 
myself  of  the  only  evidence  in  existence  of  its  unconstitution 
ally,  and  that  evidence  too,  of  so  high  and  sacred  a  character 
that  its  preservation  is  provided  for  in  the  constitution  itself? 
Buch  a  proposition  would  be  too  absurd  to  require  a  refutation. 
I  take  it,  then,  to  be  perfectly  clear,  that  whenever  what  pur 
ports  to  be  a  law  upon  its  face  is  contested  in  the  courts,  the 
party  contesting  it  may  show  by  the  journals  of  the  legislature, 
by  which  it  purports  to  have  been  passed,  that  it  never  was 
constitutionally  passed,  and  is,  in  point  of  fact,  no  law.  Now, 
suppose  I  contest  the  validity  of  a  pretended  law,  on  the  ground 
that  it  never  passed  through  any  house  of  representatives  at  all. 
It  will  be  admitted,  I  presume,  that  the  senate  and  governor 
cannot  make  a  law,  and  that,  without  the  concurrent  action  of  a 
house  of  representatives,  a  pretended  law  would  be  null  and 
void.  Now,  I  deny  that  the  body  professing  to  be  the  house  of 
representatives,  and  assisting  in  the  enactment  of  the  pretended 
law  in  controversy,  was  a  house  of  representatives.  I  have 
already  shown  that  I  can  introduce  the  journals  to  prove  that  a 
law  has  been  passed  in  violation  of  the  constitution.  I  offer  the 
same  journals  to  prove  that  the  body  which  passed  the  law  was 
not  a  department  of  government  at  all ;  that  it  was  a  body 
unknown  to  the  constitution,  and  that  it  had  falsely  assumed 
the  name  of  a  branch  of  the  legislature.  If  all  these  facts 
appeared  upon  the  face  of  the  journals  of  said  body,  would  ^riot 
the  court  be  bound  to  pronounce  its  action  void,  and  not  bind- 


£06  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

ing  upon  either  the  citizens  or  any  department  of  the  govern 
ment?  Let  us  then  bring  the  argument  down  to  the  action  of 
this  body.  If  we  admit  this  delegation  from  the  new  counties, 
our  journals  will  then  show  upon  their  face,  that  this  body 
consisted  of  seventy-four  members,  ten  of  whom  represented 
counties  which,  if  my  previous  positions  were  correct,  are  not 
entitled,  at  this  time,  to  any  further  representation.  This, 
according  to  my  argument,  would  be  clearly  a  body  unknown  to 
the  constitution,  and  incapable  of  partaking  in  the  enactment  of 
a  law.  If,  then,  the  courts  can  look  into  the  journals  of  this 
body,  and  it  shall  appear  to  them,  upon  the  face  of  such  journals, 
that  this  was  not  a  constitutional  house  of  representatives,  will 
they  not  be  bound  to  say  its  action  is  not  law?  The  recognition 
of  it  by  the  senate  and  the  governor  can  in  no  wise  alter  the 
matter.  The  courts  will,  undoubtedly,  have  the  same  right  as 
the  senate  or  the  governor  to  decide,  when  the  action  of  this 
body  comes  legally  before  them,  whether  it  is  the  action  of  a 
department  of  the  government  or  not.  Indeed,  every  depart 
ment  of  the  government  necessarily  has  the  right,  when  what 
purports  to  be  the  action  of  another  department  comes  before  it, 
to  decide  whether  such  action  is,  in  point  of  fact,  the  action  of 
such  other  department.  If  I  am  right  in  these  three  posi 
tions  : — first,  that  the  new  counties  are  not  entitled  to  represen 
tation  at  this  session — secondly,  that  this  house  has  no  jurisdic 
tion,  or  right  to  admit  them — and,  thirdly,  that  the  courts,  if 
our  action  is  contested,  have  the  power  to  look  into  our  journals 
to  see  if  we  are  the  house  of  representatives — then  the  conclu 
sion  is  inevitable,  that,  if  we  admit  them,  all  our  acts  will  be 
pronounced  void  by  the  judiciary,  whenever  they  are  legally 
3ontroverted.  Sir,  I  have  not  the  slightest  doubt  that  this  will 
be  the  inevitable  result,  should  the  resolution  be  adopted.  Nor 
will  the  evil  stop  here.  Not  only  will  this  legislature  be  vitiated, 
but  every  succeeding  one.  We  cannot  pass  an  Enumeration 
Law,  nor  an  Apportionment  Law.  We  can  make  no  provision, 
under  the  constitution,  for  the  future  legislation.  This  resolu 
tion  is  the  poisoned  shirt  of  Nessus.  If  we  once  put  it  on,  tha 
strength  of  Hercules  will  not  suffice  to  tear  it  from  our  limbs — 


SPEECH.  201 

its  baneful  power  no  medicine  can  control — and  in  the  dying 
agonies  of  the  constitution  and  laws,  the  people  will  curse  the 
officious  hand  which  extended  to  them  the  deceitful  and  fatal 
gift. 

I  have  attempted  to  prove  that  these  counties  have  no  right 
to  the  representation  which  they  claim.  I  will  now  proceed  to 
the  second  branch  of  the  argument,  and  endeavor  to  prove  that 
the  persons  claiming  seats  have  not  been  constitutionally  elected. 
No  writs  of  election  were  issued  by  the  governor.  These  gentle 
men,  however,  claim  to  be  elected  by  virtue  of  writs  issued  by 
the  boards  of  county  police  of  their  respective  counties. 

Now,  there  are  but  two  kinds  of  election  for  representatives 
recognized  in  the  constitution.  One  is  the  general  biennial  elec 
tion  ;  the  other  is  to  fill  vacancies.  These  gentlemen  do  not 
claim  to  have  been  elected  at  the  general  election,  for  that  took 
place  in  November,  1835,  and  cannot  occur  again  until  November, 
1837.  But  they  say  they  were  elected  to  fill  vacancies,  on  the 
ground  that  the  moment  a  county  is  created,  the  office  of  repre 
sentatives  is  created  :  and  that,  whenever  an  office  is  without  an 
incumbent,  a  vacancy  happens.  For  the  sake  of  argument  admit 
it,  and  let  us  see  if  they  be  constitutionally  elected  to  fill 
vacancies.  The  18th  section  of  the  3d  article  of  the  constitution 
provides,  that  "  Whenever  vacancies  happen  in  either  house,  the 
governor,  or  the  person  exercising  the  powers  of  the  governor, 
shall  issue  writs  of  election  to  fill  sucli  vacancies."  Now,  as  I 
have  already  stated,  no  writs  of  election  were  issued  by  the 
governor.  I  have  asserted  that  the  right  of  representation  is 
merely  a  conventional  right.  I  also  lay  it  down  as  a  clear 
principle,  that  all  conventional  rights  must  be  exercised  in  the 
mode  prescribed  in  the  compact,  by  virtue  of  which  the  right  is 
claimed.  In  other  words,  the  mode  in  which  a  mere  conven 
tional  right  shall  be  exercised  is  as  substantial  a  pan  of  a 
compact  or  agreement  as  the  right  itself,  and  is  indeed  a  part  of 
the  right.  The  constitution  of  this  State  does  not  si  re  a  general 
right  of  representation,  to  be  exercised  in  any  way  which  the 
people  may  choose,  but  only  the  right  of  representation,  to  be 
exercised  in  the  particular  modes  prescribed,  in  part,  by  the 


208  MEMOIR    OF    3.    S.    PRENTISS. 

constitution,  and  in  part  by  laws  made  in  pursuance  thereof.  As 
a  part  of  the  mode  of  exercising  the  right  of  representation  in 
filling  a  vacancy,  a  writ  from  the  governor  is  requisite,  by  virtue 
of  the  clause  of  the  constitution  just  quoted.  This  writ  of 
election  is  as  essentially  necessary  in  the  exercise  of  the  right  of 
filling  a  vacancy,  as  a  writ  from  a  court  in  collecting  a  judgment 
I  have  under  the  constitution,  a  general  right  to  apply  to  the 
courts  of  justice,  but  I  must  apply  in  the  mode  prescribed  by  the 
constitution  and  laws.  A  man  owes  me  a  debt — I  go  into  a  court 
and  loudly  demand  a  judgment  for  my  money.  The  judge  will 
say;  Sir,  you  undoubtedly  have  a  right  to  a  judgment  against 
your  debtor,  but  you  must  avail  yourself  of  that  right  according 
to  the  mode  prescribed  by  the  laws  of  the  land — go  and  com 
mence  your  suit  in  the  proper  form,  and  then  you  shall  have 
justice.  I  take  his  advice — commence  regular  proceedings,  and 
obtain  a  judgment.  I  now  demand  of  the  sheriff  to  make  the 
the  money — to  sell  my  debtor's  goods.  The  sheriff  answers ; 
Sir,  you  undoubtedly  have  a  right  to  have  your  debtor's  prop 
erty  sold,  but  not  in  any  way  you  may  please  to  exercise  it.  To 
avail  yourself  of  that  right,  you  must  first  obtain  a  writ  from  the 
court,  directed  to  me,  and  commanding  me  to  sell — you  have  no 
right  to  have  the  property  sold  without  a  writ — that  is  the" 
mode  in  which  you  must  exercise  your  right.  The  refusal 
of  the  governor  to  issue  a  writ  does  not  alter  the  case,  nor 
authorize  the  filling  of  vacancies  without  them,  any  more  than 
the  refusal  of  a  court  or  clerk  to  issue  a  writ  would  justify  the 
sheriff  in  proceeding  without  it.  But  it  is  said,  this  is  mere 
matter  of  form,  and  to  get  at  the  substance  you  are  justified  in 
violating  forms.  Sir,  I  do  not  know  what  gentlemen  mean  by 
the  forms  of  the  constitution,  or  what  right  they  have  to  say 
that  one  part  is  not  as  substantial  as  another.  Did  gentlemen, 
when  they  took  an  oath  to  support  the  constitution,  make  a 
mental  reservation,  that  they  might  violate  its  forms?  What  is 
the  criterion,  and  who  is  to  be  judae  of  what  is  form  and  what 
substance  ?  If  what  is  form  can  be  violated  with  impunity,  I 
fear  the  instrument  will  soon  share  the  fate  of  the  painting 
which  the  artist  requested  his  frienls  to  criticise.  They  aJJ 


SPEECH.  209 

pronounced  it  beautiful,  a  chef  d'&uvre  of  the  art.  He  then 
requested  that  each  one  would  take  a  pencil,  and  strike  from  it 
such  portion  as  he  deemed  objectionable.  They  did  so,  and  the 
mortified  artist  found  no  vestige  of  his  picture  remaining.  But 
it  is  said,  again,  this  is  but  a  small  irregularity,  a  slight  violation, 
and  ought  not  to  be  considered  of  importance. 

Sir,  a  single  brick  may  be  stolen  from  a  building  without 
much  apparent  injury  to  the  edifice,  but  let  the  example  of  the 
first  robber  be  followed  by  others,  and  presently  the  whole  fabric 
will  tumble  to  ruins.  It  is  from  such  small  and  apparently 
insignificant  attacks  that  governments  and  constitutions  fall.  A 
leak  no  larger  than  a  spearhead,  will  sink  the  most  gallant  ship 
that  ever  swam  the  ocean.  A  crevasse  may  be  made,  even  by  a 
reptile,  which  will  let  in  the  waters  of  the  Mississippi,  till  whole 
counties  are  inundated.  When  men's  liberties  are  directly 
attacked  by  open  force,  there  is  but  little  to  fear.  They  see 
their  danger  and  meet  it  boldly.  But  when  under  pretense  of  a 
popular  measure,  under  the  disguise  of  friendship  for  the  people, 
a  blow  is  struck  at  the  constitution  of  the  country,  then  is  the 
time  for  alarm.  From  open  enemies  the  people  can  always 
defend  themselves — to  treacherous  friends  they  fall  an  easy  pray. 

With  regard  to  the  point  under  discussion,  most  of  the  gentle 
men  who  have  advocated  the  resolution  admit  that  the  mode  of 
election  has  been  irregular  and  unconstitutional.  The  gentleman 
from  Adams,  however,  has  taken  one  ground,  which  he  has 
defended  in  so  wandering  and  desultory  a  manner  that  I  hardly 
know  whether  it  is  worth  my  while  to  dislodge  him.  The 
position  seems  to  be  a  sort  of  block-house,  in  advance  of  Lis 
main  battle-ground,  which  he  alternately  occupies  and  deserts. 
It  is  this  :  the  boards  of  county  police  have,  by  the  constitution, 
power  to  fill  vacancies  in  county  offices.  It  has  shrewdly 
occurred  to  the  gentleman  that,  inasmuch  as  a  representative  is 
elected  in  a  county,  he  is  a  county  officer — and,  of  course,  that  8 
vacancy  in  the  office  can  be  filled  by  order  of  the  board  of  county 
police.  At  least  the  gentleman  says  it  is  a  matter  of  great  doubt 
whether  such  be  not  the  case.  He  sits  upon  the  point  like  a  bird 
upon  a  rotten  twig,  with  pini'  ns  half  spread,  ready  to  fly  the 


210  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PREXTISS. 

moment  it  gives  way  beneath  him.     But  let  us  see  whether  a 
representative  is  a  county  officer.     I  understand  a  county  office 
to  be  one  in  which  the  duties  appertaining  thereto  are  exercised 
within  the  county  to  which  the  office  pertains,  and  the  exercise 
of  which  does  not  operate  upon  or  bind  other  counties ;  in  other 
words,  where  the  jurisdiction  attached  to  the  office  does  not 
extend  beyond  the  limits  of  the  county  within  which  it  is  created. 
Thus,  a  sheriff,  a  judge  of  probate,  a  clerk  of  a  circuit  or  orphans' 
court,  are  all  county  officers— because  the  duties  and  powers  of 
their  respective  offices  are  confined  in  their   exercise   to   the 
counties  to  which  such  offices  severally  belong.     On  the  other 
hand,  I  understand  a  State  officer  to  be  one  whose  jurisdiction 
extends  over  the  State,  and  the  exercise  of  the  duties  of  which 
will  operate  equally  upon  all  the  citizens  of  the  State.    Thus,  the 
governor,  the  judges  of  the  high  court  of  errors  and  appeals,  and 
of  the  circuit  courts,  are  all  State  officers— because  their  action 
is  general  and  not  confined  to  any  particular  county  or  portion 
of  the  State.    It  is  not  the  mode  of  election  which  gives  character 
to  the  office,  but  the  duties  appertaining  to  it,  and  the  extent  of 
their  exercise.     For  instance:  a  judge  of  the  supreme  court,  it 
will  be  admitted,  I  presume,  is  a  State  officer,  though  he  is  elected 
only  from  a  particular  district— but  the  exercise  of  the  duties  of 
his  office  extends  over  the  whole  State.     Let  us  then  see  what 
are  the  duties  and  powers  of  a  representative,  and  how  far  they 
extend.     The  power  of  a  representative  is  to  pass  laws,  which 
laws  extend  all  over  the  State,  and  affect  the  people  of  all  other 
counties  as  much  as  the  people  of  the  county  in  which  he  was 
elected.    He  is  a  representative  of  the  whole  people  of  the  State, 
and  is  consequently  as  much  a  State  officer  as  the  governor.     If 
a  representative  be  a  county  officer,  he  is  liable  to  the  operation 
of  the  28th  section  of  the  4th  article  of  the  constitution,  which 
says  that  "Judges  of  Probate,  Clerks,  Sheriffs,  and  other  county 
officers,  for  wilful  neglect  of  duty,  or  misdemeanor  in  office,  shall 
be  liable  to  presentment  or  indictment  by  a  grand  jury,  and  trial 
by  a  petit  jury,  and  upon  conviction  shall   be  removed  from 
office."     Now  suppcse,  upon  his  return  home,  the  gentleman 
from  Adams  should  find  the  circuit  court  in  session,  and  a  bill 


SPEECH.  211 

of  indictment  exhibited  against  him  by  the  grand  inquest  of  hia 
county,  charging  him  with  wilful  neglect  of  duty  and  misdemeanor- 
in  office,  on  account  of  the  course  pursued  by  him  in  this  very 
matter ;  does  he  pretend  that,  upon  conviction  before  a  petit  jury, 
he  could  be  removed  from  his  office  of  representative  by  the 
judgment  of  the  circuit  court?  If  so,  the  circuit  courts,  by  a 
simultaneous  action,  might  break  up  the  legislature.  This  would 
be  a  novel  method  of  proroguing  parliament.  The  absurdity  of 
the  proposition*  that  a  representative  is  a  county  officer,  is  so 
obvious,  that,  as  I  said  before,  no  one  has  relied  upon  it,  in 
argument,  except  the  gentleman  from  Adams,  and  he  has 
advanced  it  with  such  manifest  distrust,  as  to  show  that  he 
places  no  reliance  upon  it.  If,  then,  a  representative  is  not  a 
county  officer,  the  boards  of  county  police  had  no  power  to  issue 
writs  of  election  to  fill  pretended  vacancies — and  such  writs  have 
no  more  validity  than  if  they  had  been  issued  by  the  chairman 
of  a  public  meeting.  The  advocates  of  the  resolution  are  com 
pelled  to  admit  that  these  delegates  have  not  been  elected  in 
accordance  with  the  forms  of  the  constitution — that  the  constitu 
tional  prerequisite  in  filling  vacancies,  to-wit :  writs  of  election 
issued  by  the  governor,  was  wholly  wanting.  Now,  will  gentle 
men  inform  me,  if  they  can  dispense  with  the  constitutional  pre 
requisite  of  a  writ  of  election,  whether  they  cannot,  with  equal 
facility,  lay  aside  the  law  prescribing  the  mode  of  election? 
If  they  can  leap-over  a  constitutional  barrier,  the  laws  will  hardly 
oppose  any  obstacle  to  their  progress.  Indeed,  I  understand  it 
to  be  admitted,  that  the  persons  claiming  seats  from  the  new 
counties  have  not  been  constitutionally  elected,  but  that  the 
failure  of  the  governor  to  issue  writs,  ought  not  to  deprive  the 
people  of  their  right  of  representation.  They  carry  this  doctrine 
still  farther,  and  assert  that  upon  the  occurrence  of  a  vacancy  in 
this  body,  and  a  failure  of  action  on  the  part  of  the  officers 
whose  duty  it  is  to  order  and  conduct  an  election,  the  people 
have  a  right  to  meet  in  their  primary  assemblies,  and  elect,  in 
such  manner  as  they  please,  a  representative — and  that  such 
representative,  so  elected,  would  be  entitled  to  his  seat  on  this 
floor.  I  understand  the  gentleman  from  Adams  distinctly  tc 


212  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

avow  (if  I  am  wrong  I  call  upon  him  to  correct  me)  that  upon 
the  failure  of  the  proper  officers  to  do  their  duty,  the  people,  in 
their  primary  assemblies,  have  the  right  to  send  members  to  this 
body,  without  compliance  with  any  of  the  forms  of  election 
prescribed  by  the  constitution  and  laws.  I  ask  the  gentleman 
from  Adams  if  I  am  right  in  attributing  to  him  such  a  doctrine? 
He  nods  assent.  Will  he  permit  me  to  illustrate  his  doctrine  by 
electing  him  according  to  his  own  mode  ?  I  will  suppose  that 
a  vacancy  occurs  in  the  representation  of  the  county  of  Adams. 
The  governor  neglects  or  refuses  to  issue  a  writ  of  election.  The 
sheriff  refuses  to  act  without  a  writ ;  and,  in  consequence,  no 
election  is  ordered,  no  inspectors  appointed,  and  no  polls  opened. 
Deep  excitement  pervades  the  community.  The  people  meet  in 
the  public  places,  like  the  citizens  of  ancient  Athens,  and  greedily 
inquire  of  each  other  what  has  happened.  At  the  corners  of 
the  streets  at  Natchez  huge  placards  are  posted  up,  on  which, 
in  blazing  capitals,  you  may  read,  "Citizens  to  the  rescue! 
Your  rights  are  violated — your  liberties  are  endangered  !"  Sud 
denly  the  tocsin  is  sounded,  and  the  deep  tones  of  the  bell,  which 
hangs  above  the  temple  of  justice,  and  which  has  so  often 
assured  the  inhabitants  of  that  beautiful  city,  they  lived  under  a 
government  of  constitution  and  laws,  now  speak  the  notes  of 
alarm.  The  excited  citizens  rush  towards  the  court-house.  A 
human  wave  is  seen  in  every  street.  That  old  hall,  which  has 
often  rung  with  the  eloquence  of  the  wise  and  the  good,  is 
now  filled  with  men  whose  scowling  brows  and  compressed  lips 
denote  that  it  is  upon  no  ordinary  occasion  they  have  assembled 
there. 

The  gentleman  from  Adams  mounts  the  rostrum — that  sacred 
place  from  whence  law  has  been  so  long  expounded,  and  justice 
dispensed.  Beneath  him  is  a  sea  of  upturned  faces,  and  as  the 
burning  words  flow  from  his  ready  tongue,  that  multitude  is 
swayed  to  and  fro,  even  as  the  tides  obey  the  changing  moon. 
He  tells  them,  with  eloquence  far  beyond  my  feeble  powers  to 
imitate,  that  the  most  sacred  of  all  their  rights  is  in  danger— 
that  right  for  which  their  fathers  fought,  for  which  patriots  have 
lived,  and  heroes  died.  He  tells  them  that  taxation  without 


SPEECH. 


213 


representation  is  tyranny— that  opposition  to  tyranny  is  o.<edience 
to  God— that  this  right  is  inalienable— that  they  cannot  be 
deprived  of  it  by  any  power  whatever,  much  less  by  the  neglect 
of  duty  in  their  agents,  the  mere  slaves  of  their  will.  He  states 
how  the  various  officers  have  neglected  their  duty— and  thus 
pours  upon  their  heads  the  vials  of  his  eloquent  wrath : 

"  Fellow  Citizens  :— The  sword  of  retributive  justice  shall  soon 
descend  upon  the  traitorous  governor;  and  to  the  ears  of  our 
recreant  sheriff  shall  come  from  the  ballot-box  a  voice  which 
will  make  him  tremble,  as  if  he  heard  the  last  trumpet  sound— 
the  voice  of  an  indignant  people.  But,  fellow  citizens,  you  must 
not  be  thus  cheated.  Tnese  forms  prescribed  by  the  constitution 
and  law,  shall  not  bind  your  free  energies.  Even  now,  before 
you  leave  this  house,  speak  in  accents  of  thunder— assert  your 
right— and  should  your  choice  fall  on  the  humble  individual  who 
addresses  you,  proudly  will  he  stand  in  the  legislative  hall,  and 
boldly  will  he  claim  his  seat  as  your  representative."  The 
gentleman  ceases :  and  a  murmur  of  approbation  runs  through 
the  assembly,  which  presently  rises  to  a  shout  that  would  mate 
the  roar  of  the  ocean,  when  the  tempest  is  doing  its  wildest 
work.  He  is  elected  by  acclamation,  and  presents  himself  before 
this  house  as  the  representative  of  the  county  of  Adams,  with 
the  flush  of  triumph  on  his  cheek,  and  an  almost  endless  roll, 
containing  the  signatures  of  all  that  primary  assembly,  as  the 
certificate  of  his  election.  Could  the  members  of  this  house, 
under  their  solemn  obligation  to  support  the  constitution,  admit 
the  gentleman  to  take  his  seat  upon  this  floor  ?  Does  the  gentle 
man  from  Adams  really  assert,  that,  under  such  circumstances, 
he  would  be  entitled  to  a  seat  ?  He  answers  in  the  affirmative. 

Sir,  I  did  not  expect  to  hear  such  doctrines  advanced  from 
that  quarter.  I  look  upon  them  with  horror  and  alarm.  I 
denounce  them  as  disorganizing  and  revolutionary.  They  are 
the  same  doctrines  which  were  preached  in  the  jacobin  clubs  of 
Paris,  during  the  worst  times  of  the  French  Kevolution ;  and,  if 
generally  adopted,  will  produce  the  same  result  here  that  marked 
their  progress  throughout  that  bloody  period.  If  the  gentleman's 
doctrine  is  carried  out,  it  amounts  to  this :  that  whenever  an 


214  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PflENTISS. 

officer  of  government  fails  to  do  his  duty,  the  people  have   the 
right  to  take  the  matter  into  their  own  hands  and  do  it  for  him. 
If  a  judge  fails  or  refuses  to  hold  court,  the  people  can  meet  in 
the  court-house  and  adjudge  the  causes  upon  the  docket — and 
should  they  find  a  criminal  awaiting  his  trial  for  some  capital 
offence,  then,  inasmuch  as  legal  proceedings  are  mere  matter  of 
form,  and  the  punishment  is  the  substance,  they  will  have  a 
perfect  right  to  hang  the  poor  wretch  upon  the  nearest  tree. 
Sir,  I  do  not  pretend  to  say  that  the  gentleman  from  Adams  has, 
in  point  of  fact,  pushed  his  theory  thus  far ;    but  I  appeal    to 
every  sensible  man,  whether  the  propositions  made  by  him  do 
not  embrace  a  principle  broad  enough  to  cover  all  such  cases. 
And  what  is  the  principle  ?     It  is  a  fearful  monster,  which  has, 
for  the  last  two  or  three  years,  traversed  the  United  States  with 
the  stride  of  a  drunken  and  infuriated  giant,  trampling  down 
constitutions  and  laws,  and  setting  governments  at  defiance.     In 
the  city  of  Baltimore,  in  its  frantic  mood,  it  demolished   the 
edifices  of  the  citizens.     In  Charlestowrx,  a  convent  fell  a  prey  to 
its  wayward  humor.     It  is  no  stranger  within  our  own  State — 
and,  maddened  by  a  southern  sun,  its  footsteps  here  have  been 
marked  with  blood.     It  is  the  principle  of  mobocracy,  the  incar 
nate  fiend  of  anarchy.     For  the  first  time  it  has  dared  to  present 
its  horrid  front  in  the  halls  of  legislation.     The  gentleman  from 
Adams  has  introduced  it — and    upon  his  head  be  the   conse 
quences,  if,  as  I  fear  will  be  the  case,  it  is  received  with  welcome. 
Let  the  gentleman  remember  the  fate  of  many  a  necromancer, 
whose  unholy  incantations  have  been  of  power  to  raise  the  devil, 
but  not  to  control  him — and  who,  while  struggling  in  the  choking 
grasp  of  the  foul  spirit,  has  cursed  the  day   he  meddled  with 
the  black  art  of  sorcery.     A  child  may  unchain  the  hungry  tiger, 
bat  if  he  does,  will  most  likely  fall  the  earliest  prey  to  the  savage 
beast.     I  told  this  body  at  an  early  period  of  the  debate,  that  a 
fearful  chasm  was  at  our  feet — and,  if  we  waited  for  a  little  time, 
it  would  be  bridged,  so  that  we  could  pass  it  in  safety.     "  I  will 
leap  it,"  cries  the  gentleman  from  Adams,  impetuously.    I  entreat 
him  to  pause,  if  not  for  his  own  sake,  at  least  for  the  sake  of 
thoge  who  have  committed  dear  rights  to  his  charge.    Let  him 


SPEECH.  215 

jiot  tempt  the  fate  of  Oartius,  when  the  country  can  receive  no 
benefit  from  the  sacrifice.  Richer  treasures  than  the  gentleman 
from  Adams  must  be  thrown  into  that  yawning  gulf  before  it 
closes. 

Sir,  I  do  most  solemnly  believe,  that  upon  the  rejection  of  this 
resolution  depends  the  prosperity  of  this  State,  for  many  years 
to  come.  I  believe  its  adoption  will  infuse  into  the  legislation 
of  the  State  a  poison  which  no  medicine  can  cure.  It  will  part 
the  laws  from  the  constitution,  and  set  them  adrift,  like  the 
broken  spars  and  rigging  of  a  dismasted  vessel,  which  beat 
against  and  destroy  the  very  keel  they  were  intended  to  support. 

But  in  spite  of  this  and  all  other  opposition,  the  resolu 
tion  admitting  the  delegates  from  the  new  counties  was 
finally  passed  by  a  bare  majority,  the  claimants  themselves 
voting  on  the  question.  Thereupon,  Mr.  PRENTISS  prepared 
the  following  Protest,  which  in  behalf  of  himself  and 
twenty-one  other  Representatives,  he  obtained  leave  to  have 
spread  upon  the  Journals  of  the  House  : — 

The  undersigned,  members  of  the  house  of  representatives  of 
the  legislature  of  the  State  of  Mississippi,  believing  that  said 
body  has,  in  certain  action  which  has  occurred  therein  at  the 
present  adjourned  session  of  1837,  violated  the  constitution  of 
the  State,  the  law  of  the  land,  and  the  rules  which  govern  legisla 
tive  proceedings,  by  admitting  as  a  component  part  of  the  body, 
ten  persons  whom  they  believe,  under  the  constitution  of 
the  State,  the  law  of  the  land,  and  the  rules  of  legislative  pro 
ceedings,  to  have  no  right  to  participate  in  the  deliberations  of  the 
body,  ask  leave  to  protest  against  such  action,  as  the  only  mode 
left  by  which  to  express  their  opinions  upon  the  same. 

The  undersigned  set  forth  the  following  sLitement,  as  the 
ground  of  their  proceeding : 

1st.  They  believe  that  by  the  constitution  of  this  State,  the 
power  and  jurisdiction  of  fixing  the  number  of  each  branch  of 
the  legislature,  and  of  apportioning  such  number  among  the 


216  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTIS3. 

counties,  cities,  and  towns,  is  given  expressly  to  the  whole,  and 
not  to  either  branch  thereof. 

2d.  That  the  number  of  representatives  which  should  compose 
this  branch  of  the  legislature  at  the  present  session,  was  fixed  by 
the  legislature  of  1833,  and  apportioned  among  the  counties  then 
in  existence. 

3d.  The  constitution  requires  that,  in  case  of  vacancy,  a  writ 
of  election  should  be  issued  by  the  governor. 

Now  the  undersigned  set  forth  the  following  facts  ; — 1st.  That 
the  legislature  of  1833,  did  fix  the  number  of  this  house  at  sixty- 
four,  and  did  apportion  that  number  among  the  counties  of  the 
State.  2d.  This  body  has  admitted  ten  additional  persons  as 
members  thereof;  thereby  increasing  its  number  to  seventy-four 
without  any  new  apportionment  by  the  legislature.  3d.  Said 
ten  persons  were  not  elected  at  any  general  election,  nor  by 
virtue  of  writs  of  election  issued  by  the  governor,  but  by  virtue 
of  writs  of  election  issued  by  the  boards  of  county  police.  4th. 
Upon  a  report  of  the  minority  of  the  committee  of  elections, 
denying  said  ten  persons  to  be  constitutionally  elected  members 
of  this  body,  a  motion  was  made  to  disagree  to  said  report, 
which  motion  was  divided,  and  eight  of  said  persons  were  per 
mitted  to  vote  upon  every  portion  of  said  report.  5th.  Before 
said  last-mentioned  vote  was  taken,  the  question  was  raised 
whether  said  ten  persons  had  a  right  to  vote  on  said  question. 
Mr.  Speaker  decided  that  they  had,  an  appeal  was  taken,  and 
paid  ten  persons  were  permitted  to  vote  on  the  question  whether 
they  were  entitled  to  vote. 

Upon  this.view  of  the  constitution,  and  this  state  of  facts,  the 
undersigned  do  most  solemnly  protest  against  the  admission  of 
these  ten  persons  into  the  house,  as  f_n  addition  to  this  body, 
unknown  and  unauthorized  by  either  the  constitution  or  laws 
of  the  State. 

They  further  protest  against  the  mode  in  which  they  were 
admitted  ;  and  more  particularly,  the  power  of  voting,  acquired 
by  their  own  votes,  which  the  undersigned  conceive  to  be  a 
total  and  outrageous  violation  of  common  sense  and  common 
justice,  both  of  which  gay  that  a  man  shall  not  be  a  judge  in  his 


SPEECH.  211 

own  case.  The  undersigned  further  protest  against  the  action 
of  the  speaker  in  the  whole  of  this  matter,  which  seemeih  to 
them  a  continued  infraction  of  constitutional,  legal  and  legislative 
rules.  In  conclusion,  the  undersigned  feel  bound  to  say,  that 
they  conscientiously  believe  that  the  action  of  this  house,  hi 
relation  to  the  matter  above  set  forth,  has  been  unprecedented 
and  unconstitutional,  and  that  it  has  the  effect  totally  to  dis 
organize  this  body,  and  destroy  it  as  a  branch  of  the  legislative 
department  of  government. 

The  late  estimable  Judge  Winchester,  then  a  senator 
from  Adams  county,  introduced  a  resolution  into  the  other 
branch,  declaring  the  legislature  to  be  disorganized,  and 
upon  its  failure,  entered  with  five  other  senators  a  Protest 
similar  to  the  above. 

After  passing  a  bill,  incorporating  the  mammoth  Union 
Bank,  the  legislature  hastily,  and  in  great  confusion, 
adjourned  over  to  May.  But  Mr.  PRENTISS  immediately 
resigned  his  seat.  Thus  closed  his  brief  legislative  career 
in  Mississippi. 


218  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 


CHAPTER   IX. 

Recollections  of  him  In  the  Winter  of  1836-7— Letters- -Gains  the  great  Comment 
Suit — Second  Visit  Home — Fourth  of  July  Speech  at  Portland — Becomes  a  Candi 
date  for  Congress— His  Views  on  the  Question  of  a  National  Bank— Mississippi  in 
1887—Opens  the  Canvass  with  a  Speech  at  Natchez— Electioneering  Campaign— 
His  Letters  describing  it. 

JET.  28—29.     1837. 

THERE  was  no  point,  perhaps,  in  Mr.  Prentiss'  life,  when 
his  physical  and  mental  powers  were  in  finer  tune  than 
during  the  winter  of  1836-7.  He  was  the  very  picture  of 
health,  hope  and  joyous  activity.  His  presence  seemed 
encircled  by  a  kind  of  charmed  atmosphere  ;  it  excited 
pleasurable  emotion  like  the  song  of  birds  in  spring.  One 
could  hardly  be  with  him  and  hear  him  talk,  without  a  cer 
tain  grateful  elation  of  feeling.  How  shall  I  ever  forget 
that  winter  ?  I  cannot  recall  a  look,  or  wo*d  during  the 
whole  of  it,  that  was  not  kindness  itself.  He  seemed  a  thou 
sand  times  more  interested  in  forming  plans  for  others  than 
for  himself.  His  literary  taste  was  constantly  showing  itself. 
One  day,  for  example,  he  bought  me,  at  an  extravagant 
price,  a  copy  of  Bayle's  Biographical  Dictionary,  and  then 
expatiated,  with  all  the  enthusiasm  of  a  bibliopolist,  upon  the 
attractions  of  that  celebrated  wcrk.  In  such  matters  he  was 
as  eager  and  artless  as  a  little  child.  He  delighted,  of  an 
evening,  'o  sit  and  talk  over  old  times,  old  scenes  and  old 
neighbors  far  away  in  New  England.  He  never  tired  of 
doing  this.  Beginning  at  the  old  farm,  and  then  passing  to 


LETTERS  HOME. 


219 


the  village,  he  would  inquire  minutely  about  one  person  after 
another,  and  then  wind  up  by  saying  he  had  never  met 
such  original  characters  since  leaving  home.  At  other 
times,  he  would  relate  exciting  scenes  he  bad  passed  through 
in  the  South,  and  give  his  opinion  of  men  and  things  there. 
In  these  conversations,  a  large  share  was  devoted  to  his 
mother  and  sisters,  to  devising  little  schemes  for  their  com 
fort,  and  expressing  his  affection  for  them.  The  following 
letters  written  about  this  time,  may  afford  glimpses  of  his 
feelings  : — 

TO     HIS     MOTHER. 

VICKSBURG,  February  10,  1837. 

MY  DEAR  MOTHER: — 

It  has  been  now  at  least  two  months  since  I  have 
written  to  any  of  you;  a  neglect  I  should  not  have  been  guilty 
of,  but  for  G.,  who  writes  so  frequently  and  such  long  letters, 
that  I  tell  him  you  will  never  read  half  of  them.  You  have 
received  the  news,  I  suppose,  very  regularly  from  him,  and  have 
lost  nothing  by  my  silence.  The  time  when  I  expect  to  see  you 
is  so  rapidly  approaching,  that  I  feel  almost  dissatisfied  with  the 
cold  and  dull  formality 'of  a  letter,  in  anticipation  of  the  pleasure 
I  shall  have  shortly  in  conversing  with  you  all.  I  have  just 
returned  from  Jackson,  having  finished  ray  business  both  in  the 
Courts  and  the  Legislature.  We  had  hut  a  short  session  of 
the  Legislature,  though  a  very  boisterous  and  noisy  one.  In 
making  the  noise,  I  helped  considerably  myself,  as  you  have 
no  doubt  seen  by  the  papers  which  G.  has  sent  you.  In  the 
Courts,  I  was  successful  to  the  utmost  extent  of  my  wishes,  par 
ticularly  in  gaining  the  suit  to  which  I  have  once  or  twice 
alluded  heretofore  in  my  letters.  I  never  told  you  the  particu 
lars  about  it,  as  I  did  not  wish  to  excite  hopes  that  might  not 
be  realized.  The  suit  was  for  some  very  valuable  property  in 
this  place,  including  a  portion  of  the  town.  I  was  employed 
several  years  ago  as  counsel  in  the  cause,  find  believing  I  must 
ultimately  succeed,  I  purchased  a  portion  of  the  interest.  The 
matter  has  gone  through  all  the  courts,  and  was  finally  decided 


22U  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

in  my  favor,  last  week,  in  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  State.  This 
decision  is  final,  and  we  are  now  in  possession  of  the  property. 
My  interest,  I  have  no  donbt,  is  worth,  and  will  realize  at  least 
one  hundred  thousand  dollars.*  This  will  be  enough  for  us  all. 
I  rejoice  at  this  fortunate  result  more  on  your  account  and  th;it 
of  the  girls,  than  on  my  own,  for  even  had  I  lost  the  suir,  I 
should  have  found  no  difficulty  in  making  an  ample  subsistence 
by  my  profession.  As  it  is,  I  trust  that  neither  you  nor  the  girls 
will  ever  again  have  a  wish  either  for  your  own  comfort,  or  that 
of  others,  which  you  will  not  be  able  to  gratify.  G.  will  leave 
for  home  some  time  in  May.  I  shall  not  get  .away  till  June.  I 
have  a  great  many  plans  both  for  you  all  and  for  myself,  which 
I  will  not  discuss  till  I  get  home.  I  shall  write  to  W.  to  night, 
to  inform  him  of  my  good  fortune,  and  that  he  shall  partake  of 
it.  G.  writes  you  such  long  letters,  that  I  believe  I  will  give 
you  a  specimen  of  a  short  one.  Tell  Anna  that  the  first  two 
things  I  intend  to  buy  when  I  get  home  are  a  pony  and  a  jriano. 
My  best  love  to  you  all. 

Your  affectionate  son, 

SEAEGENT. 


TO     THE     SAME  . 

VICKSBCRG,  February  27, 1887. 

MY  DEAK  MOTHEE  : — 

I  have  just  received  your  letter  of  the  6th  inst., 
and  hasten  to  write  you  in  return.  I  am  very  much  pleased 
that  you  have  of  your  own  accord,  decided  that  it  would  be 
best  to  move  into  Portland.  I  have  always  thought  that  both 
your  comfort  and  happiness  would  be  advanced  by  doing  so; 
but  I  never  felt  disposed  to  press  it,  because  you  could  of  course 
judge  best  of  the  matter.  I  arn  perfectly  pleased  and  satisfied 
with  all  you  have  done,  and  my  only  fear  is,  that  you  have  not 

*  This  was  much  below  the  real  estimate.  In  a  note,  addressed  to  him  several 
months  later,  by  Judge  Sharkey,  the  latter  says : — "  Your  lots  must  necessarily 
increase  in  value  so  long  as  the  city  continues  to  improve.  The  present  value,  aa 
property  is  now  estimated,  cannot  be  less  than  three  or  four  hundred  thousand 
dollars.  My  estimate  is  below  that  which  is  generally  fixed  by  others  bettei 
acquainted  with  the  value  of  town  property  than  myself."— ED. 


LETTERS  HOME. 


221 


availed  yourself  sufficiently  of  my  offer,  and  may  not  have  pur 
chased  a  house  that  will  suit  you.  I  have  already  told  you  in  £ 
former  letter  that  I  shall  not  be  able  to  leave  here  till  some  time 
in  June,  by  the  last  of  which  month,  however,  I  hope  to  be  with 
you.  I  do  want  to  see  you  and  the  girls  very  much,  for  I  love 
them  dearly.  Indeed,  they  are  sisters  of  whom  any  brothet 
might  be  proud ;  they  are  so  kind,  and  so  considerate,  and  so  good, 
and  I  am  proud  of  them.  I  am  grateful  to  them,  also ;  for  had 
1  not  had  such  kind  and  affectionate  sisters,  and  such  a  mother 
as  I  have,  I  do  most  sincerely  believe  that  I  should  never  have 
been  successful  in  life ;  for*!  should  have  been  without  the  main 
inducement  to  exertion.  Many  a  time,  since  I  have  wandered 
forth  into  the  world,  have  I  been  tired  and  sick  and  disgusted 
with  the  cold  selfishness  of  those  around  me,  and  ready  in  per 
fect  contempt,  to  quit  all  further  business  with  them ;  but  the 
thought  of  home  and  the  loved  ones  there,  has  warmed  my 
benumbed  feelings,  and  encouraged  me  to  renewed  efforts,  by 
the  reflection  that  there  were,  though  afar  off,  those  whose 
happiness  was,  in  some  degree  at  least,  connected  with  mine. 
And  I  hold  that  no  person  can  be  entirely  miserable  while  there 
is  in  the  world  a  single  individual  who  will  rejoice  at  his  pros 
perity,  or  feel  sorrow  for  his  adversity.  I  have  directed  this 
letter  to  Gorham,  for  fear  you  may  not  have  moved  yet.  G.  is 
going  to  Natchez  to-morrow,  to  see  one  of  his  classmates  before 
he  starts  for  home.  I  have  nothing  new  to  tell  you,  and  indeed, 
it  would  be  unnecessary,  for  I  presume  G.  gives  you  all  the 
gossip.  Good  night.  My  love  to  you  all. 

Your  affectionate  son, 

SEABGSNT. 


TO     HIS    BISTER    ANNA. 

VICKSBCRO,  April  2, 1881. 

MY  DEAR  SISTEB: — 

I  have  been  gladdened  by  a  perusal  of  your  kind 
letter  of  the  8th  ult.,  which,  through  the  rapid  medium  of  the 


**&  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

express  mail,  has  just  come  to  hand.  Indeed  this  miscalled 
Express  is  more  tardy  in  its  movements  than  the  old  system ; 
for  I  used  to  receive  letters  in  much  less  time  than  is  now  con 
sumed  in  their  passage.  I  need  not  tell  you  how  grateful  to  me 
are  your  sisterly  and  affectionate  congratulations  upon  my  suc 
cess — nor  how  truly  you  appreciate  my  feelings  in  supposing 
that  a  sister's  wishes,  sympathy  and  hope  sound  far  sweeter  to  my 
ear  than  all  the  cold  compliments  of  the  world.  I  care  very 
little  for  the  opinions  of  those  I  do  not  love.  Indeed,  even  if 
one  were  not  inclined,  it  would  be  good  policy  to  treat  the 
world  with  contempt— for,  spaniel-like,  the  more  you  abuse  it 
the  more  it  will  fawn  upon  you.  But  I  will  not  fill  my  letter 
with  misanthropy,  as  it  would  belie  my  feelings.  If  I  love  not 
mankind,  still  I  hate  them  not. 

And  so  the  folks  have  moved  into  Portland  at  last.  I  am  very 
glad  they  are  pleased  with  the  change.  I  do  not  recollect  the 
part  of  the  city  in  which  the  house  is  situated.  If  it  does  not 
turn  out  to  be  a  pleasant  one,  we  will  sell  it  and  buy  another. 
Before  this  arrives  G-.,  I  presume,  will  be  with  you.  He  started 
two  weeks  since;  and  I  have  just  heard  of  his  safe  arrival  in 
Louisville.  I  do  hope  he  will  have  persuaded  S.  to  accompany 
him  home.  It  will  be  so  great  a  gratification  to  mother,  as  well 
as  all  of  us,  to  have  him  with  us  this  summer.  W.  will,  of 
course,  come  to  see  us;  and  then  we  shall  all  be  collected 
together  around  the  same  fire-side— a  good  fortune  which  does 
not  often  occur  in  a  family  so  much  scattered  as  ours  has  been. 

Josiah  L called  on  me  a  few  days  since,  on  his  way  to 

New  Orleans.  He  is  in  excellent  health,  and,  apparently,  good 
spirits.  He  has  been  living  at  Cincinnati,  and  says  he  intends 
to  go  and  buy  a  farm  in  Illinois.  He  asked  me  what  was  "  the 
good  news,"  and  seemed  very  glad  to  see  me.  I  have  no  news 
to  give  you  since  G.  left— and  as  he  will  be  with  you  before  thia 
letter,  he  will,  of  course,  have  unfolded  his  budget,  and  have 
given  you  everything  of  the  slightest  importance  or  interest. 
My  love  to  you  all.  Good  night. 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

SEAHGKNT. 


SECOND  VISIT  HOME.  223 

TO     HIS     SISTER     ABBY 

VICKSBURO,  May  7, 1887. 

MY  DEAR  SISTER: — 

I  believe  I  shall  never  become  as  good  a  corres 
pondent  as  G.,  and  I  know  you  have  good  cause  to  complain  of 
my  want  of  punctuality.  I  never  could  express  my  thoughts 
and  feelings  readily  upon  paper ;  and,  indeed,  I  have  almost  a 
repugnance  to  writing  letters.  It  is,  however,  unnecessary  tc 
assure  you  that  this  arises  from  no  forge tfulness  of  my  dear 
mother  and  sisters,  for  should  I  write  as  often  as  I  think  of 
you,  your  whole  time  would  be  employed  in  reading  my  epistles. 
I  wish  you  further  to  understand,  that  my  repugnance  extends 
only  to  writing,  and  not  to  receiving,  letters. 

I  am  delighted  that  you  are  all  so  well  pleased  with  your  new 
residence,  and  know  I  shall  like  it  much ;  for  whatever  pleases 
you  will  please  me.  We  have  nothing  new  here,  except  the 
most  horribly  hard  times  ever  known,  and  they  are  getting 
worse  daily.  It  seems  to  me,  half  the  people  in  the  United 
States  will  have  to  break  ;  for,  from  all  I  see  in  the  papers, 
things  are  no  better  North. 

If  I  get  off  by  the  first  of  June,  I  shall  not  write  again.  Our 
Courts  are  now  in  session,  and  I  am  quite  busy  winding  up  my 
old  business — for  I  have  declined  taking  any  new.  It  is  getting 
late,  so  good  night,  and  my  love  to  you  all. 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

SEARGENT. 

He  reached  Portland  the  latter  part  of  June.  After 
remaining  a  couple  of  weeks,  and  fishing  once  more  in  the 
Great  Brook,  he  was  hurried  back  by  the  intelligence  that 
his  friends  in  Mississippi,  had  nominated  him  as  a  candidate 
for  representative  in  Congress. 

During  this  visit  he  was  invited  to  attend  a  Whig  Fourth 
of  July  celebration  ;  and  on  being  toasted,  in  a  very  com 


224  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

plimentary  manner,  as  "  a  son  of  Portland,  in  whose  talents 
and  acquirements  the  vigor  of  the  North  was  united  to  the 
fertility  and  luxuriance  of  the  South" — he  responded  in  a 
speech  upon  the  financial  condition  and  distresses  of  the 
country,  which  excited  the  admiration  of  all  who  heard  it. 
At  this  time  his  name  was  little  known  in  his  native  town  ; 
few  present,  indeed,  had  ever  before  seen  him.  The  pecu 
liar  style  of  his  oratory,  in  part  the  growth  of  his  Southern 
life,  was  as  novel  to  the  ear  of  many  of  his  auditors  as  the 
magnolia  of  the  South  in  full  bloom  would  have  been  to  their 
eye.  The  celebration  was  held  under  an  immense  pavilion, 
upon  the  hill  which  overlooks  Casco  Bay.  Mr.  Prentiss  had 
hardly  begun  his  address  when  the  thunders  of  applause  ar 
rested  the  attention  of  troops  of  men  and  boys,  who,  as  is 
usual  on  such  occasions,  were  sauntering  about  in  the  vicinity. 
Immediately  they  pressed  up  to  the  tent,  and  no  sooner 
had  they  caught  the  accents  of  the  speaker's  voice,  or — by 
peeping  through  some  rent  or  loop-hole — got  sight  of  his 
face,  blazing  with  excitement,  than  they  stood  still,  trans 
fixed  with  delight.  It  were  difficult  to  say  whether  the 
scene  without  or  within  the  tent,  afforded  the  most  striking 
proof  of  the  orator's  power. 

Some  of  his  illustrations  were  exceedingly  vivid.  In 
speaking  of  Gen.  Jackson's  "  experiments "  upon  the  cur 
rency,  he  compared  him  to  a  man  who  should  seize  you  by 
the  jugular  vein,  and,  substituting  his  own  will  for  the 
self-regulating  law  of  health,  ordain  how  fast  or  how  slow 
the  life-blood  should  course  through  it  !  No  one  who 
heard  him  on  this  occasion,  will  easily  have. forgotten  the 
passage  in  which  he  described  the  recent  Whig  victories, 
east  and  west  of  the  Alleghanies  ;  or  his  exulting  tone  and 
glow  of  countenance,  as  he  concluded  it  by  quoting  the 
celebrated  lines  from  C/iilde  Harold : — 


SPEECH  AT  PORTLAND.  225 

"  Par  along, 

Prom  peak  to  peak,  the  rattling  crags  among, 
Leaps  the  live  thunder !    Not  from  one  lone  cloud, 
But  every  mountain  now  hath  found  a  tongue, 
And  Jura  answers,  through  her  misty  shroud, 
Back  to  the  joyous  Alps,  who  call  to  her  aloud  I  "* 

He  returned  South  by  the  route  across  the  Allaghanies, 
and  had,  as  the  following  letter  intimates,  a  very  wearisome 
journey  of  it : — 

TO     HIS     YOUNGEST     BEOTHEE. 

VICKSBURG,  August  14,  1887. 

DEAE  GEOEGE: — 

After  an  exceedingly  tedious  and  fatiguing  passage 
of  eleven  days  from  Louisville,  I  have  at  length  arrived  safe  and 
in  excellent  health  at  the  place  of  ray  destination.  The  Ohio  was 
very  low,  and  the  boat  in  which  I  embarked,  took  the  occasion 
to  tarry  some  seven  or  eight  days  upon  sand-bars.  I  find  things 
here  very  much  as  I  left  them.  Times  are  very  dull.  There  is 
not  a  dollar  of  money  in  circulation  and  no  business  doing.  The 
prospect  for  crops  is  good,  and  I  doubt  not  business  will  be  brisk 
so  soon  as  the  cotton  market  opens.  Exchange  will  then  be 
restored  between  this  State  and  New  York.  At  present  it  is 
entirely  prostrated.  Vicksburg  has  been  somewhat  sickly 

*  I  find  the  following  editorial  notice  of  this  speech,  in  the  «  Portland"  Adver- 
ftser—followed  by  an  enthusiastic  tribute  to  the  eloquence  of  the  Maine  boy— from 
the  spirited  pen  of  John  Neal : — 

"  MR.  PKENTISS  answered  to  the  call  in  a  modest,  eloquent  and  classical  speech, 
unsurpassed  by  anything  of  the  kind  we  ever  heard.  It  was  full  of  power,  and 
altogether  superior  to  the  speeches  we  are  accustomed  to  hear  on  such  occasions. 
We  have  done  our  utmost  to  procure  it  for  publication,  but  are  obliged  to  say— with 
faces  longer  than  we  should  like  to  acknowledge— that  the  thing  is  impossible.  We 
could  not  procure  from  the  gentleman  himself,  even  an  outline.  But  neither  Mr. 
PRENTISS  himself,  nor  the  most  attentive  of  his  auditory,  though  accustomed  to 
reporting,  almost  literally,  the  language  of  public  men,  uttered  on  public  occasions, 
would  be  able  to  do  that  speech  justice  on  paper,  were  they  to  club  together  for 
the  purpose. 

"  We  hope,  therefore,  our  readers  will  be  satisfied  with  the  concurrent  testimony 
of  all  who  heard  it,  that  it  was  worthy  of  the  man  himself,  one  of  the  most  gifted 
among  the  great  body  of  New  Englanders  who  have  gone  to  the  mighty  West  and 
Southwest— those  storehouses  of  empires— there  to  multiply  and  scatter  the  seed* 
of  genuine,  unadulterated,  New  Englandism." 

10* 


226  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

during  rny  absence,  but  it  is  quite  healthy  now,  and  I  apprehend 
no  danger  whatever.     The  election  resulted,  as  I  anticipated,  in 
the  defeat  of  the  Whig  ticket,  by  a  considerable  majority,  about 
3,000.     I  was  beaten  2,800  votes.     I  had  500  more  votes  than 
the  candidate  who  ran  on  the  same  ticket  with  me,  though  ho 
had   been   electioneering  all   summer.     In  the  river   counties, 
where  the  strength  of  the  Whigs  principally  lies,  they  did  not 
give  more  than  half  the  vote  of  which  they  are  capable— many 
believing  the  special  election  illegal  and  invalid.     I  shall  make 
the  tour  of  the  State  and  try  my  luck  in  November,  though  I 
have  small  hope   of  success.     I   deem   it  my  duty,  however, 
having  become  a  candidate,  to  use  every  exertion.     But  so  far 
as  my  individual  feelings  are  concerned,  I  shall  not  suffer  the 
slightest  mortification  at  defeat.     I  shall  only  regret  it  on  ac 
count  of  my  friends  and  the  cause.     Had  the  special  election 
not  occurred  until  I  had  had  a  full  opportunity  of  canvassing 
the  State,  I  should  have  stood  a  good  chance;   as   it  is,  you 
must  look  for  my  defeat  in  November,  unless  I  can  do  more  by 
my  personal  exertions  than  I  have  any  warrant  for  supposing 
can  be  done.     But  enough  of  this,  to  me,  insignificant  subject. 
I  find  all  my  friends  here  well,  and  many  of  them  inquire  after 
your  welfare.     I  suppose,  by  this  time,  you  are  all  very  snugly 
situated  on  Danforth  street.     I  trust  you  will  be  pleased  with 
the  house,  and  I  should  be  delighted  to  drop  in  and  see  bow  you 
have  arranged  matters.     Col.  Ben  is  well,  and  is  already  edify- 
ing  the  boys  with  an  account  of  his  adventures  in  the  Free 
States.     I  shall  leave  town  in  a  few  days  for  the  interior.     I 
shall  expect  frequent  letters  from  you,  and  the  girls,  and  you 
must  always  tell  me  of  all  your  wants  and  wishes  at  home. 
I  hope  S.  will  stay  with  you  till  late  in  the  fall.      I  would 
this  election  had  been  out  of  the  way,  and  then  I  should  have 
been  with  you  still. 

Auffttat  26. 

I  shall  start  out  to-morrow  on  an  electioneering  trip,  and 
be  gone  till  November.  Should  I  succeed,  it  will  be  one  of 
the  greatest  triumphs  ever  obtained  in  this  country.  The 
special  election,  during  my  absence,  played  the  mischief  with 


HIS    OPINION    OF    A    NATIONAL    BANK.  221 

the  Wing  cause.     Judge  Guion  and  family  are  well,  and  also 
Mr.  Smedes.     My  love  to  you  all. 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

SEAKGENT. 

Before  setting  out,  he  published  an  address  to  the  people 
of  the  State,  containining  a  brief  expose  of  his  political  sen 
timents.  The  leading  question  of  the  day,  was  that  of  a 
National  Bank  ;  and  to  this  topic  the  address  is  chiefly  de 
voted.  The  following  extracts  present  the  main  points, 
upon  which  the  election  turned,  and  afford,  at  the  same  time, 
an  instructive  illustration  of  the  great  change  which  has 
since  come  over  the  financial  creed  and  policy  of  the 
country. 

In  November  next,  you  will  be  called  upon,  in  selecting  a 
large  number  of  public  agents,  to  elect  two  for  the  purpose  of 
transacting  your  business  and  representing  you  in  the  Congress 
of  the  United  States.  I  am  one  of  the  candidates  for  that  high 
and  important  trust ;  and  both  reason  and  custom  make  it 
incumbent  on  me  in  the  position  I  occupy,  to  make  known  to 
yon  my  political  principles,  so  far  as  they  may  have  any  bearing 
upon  the  action  of  a  representative.  This  duty  I  should  have 
performed  long  since,  but  for  indispensable  absence  from  the 
State,  to  which  I  have  just  returned.  Though  my  name  was 
before  you  at  the  recent  election,  I  was  wholly  ignorant  when  I 
left  the  State  that  a  special  election  was  contemplated,  and  was 
not  aware  of  the  fact  that  such  an  election  would  be  holden 
until  a  few  days  before  it  occurred,  too  late  to  have  communi 
cated  with  you  either  personally  or  by  letter.  I  trust  this  will 
be  a  sufficient  excuse  for  rny  apparent  neglect. 

The  most  important  question  which  now  agitates  the  public 
mind,  arises  out  of  the  distressed  condition  of  the  country.  To 
the  actual  existence  of  great  distress  ;  to  the  utter  derangement 
of  commerce,  foreign  and  domestic ;  to  the  diminution  in  both 


228  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

the  price  and  demand  for  labor ;  to  the  prostration  of  business 
in  the  mechanic  arts ;  to  the  depreciation  of  property ;  to  the 
universal  distrust  and  foreboding  which  pervades  the  community 
in  every  part  of  the  Union,  all  men  bear  witness ;  on  this  sub 
ject  there  is  but  one  party.  The  immediate  cause  of  the  evils 
above  enumerated,  is  by  all  correctly  attributed  to  the  derange 
ment  of  the  currency  of  the  country.  It  seems,  also,  to  be 
admitted,  that  the  only  adequate  remedy  is  a  restoration  of  the 
currency  to  a  sound  state.  The  people  look  to  Congress  for  this 
restoration,  and  they  demand  that  it  speedily  be  made. 

I  believe  that  not  merely  the  best,  but  the  only  mode  of 
restoring  the  currency  of  this  country  to  a  sound  condition,  and 
keeping  it  so,  is  the  establishment  of  a  National  Bank.  I 
believe  we  cannot  have  a  currency  in  the  United  States  adequate 
to  carry  on  the  business  of  the  country,  without  such  an  institu 
tion.  We  certainly  cannot  have  an  exclusively  metallic  cur 
rency,  though  there  is  a  party  who  hold  the  proposition  that  we 
can.  All  wise  politicians,  however,  repudiate  the  monstrous 
absurdity.  Even  the  Globe  denies  that  either  the  Administra 
tion  or  any  prominent  member  of  the  party,  ever  advanced  so 
foolish  a  doctrine.  Indeed  sensible  men  all  join  in  scouting  it, 
and  it  is  now  the  peculiar  property  of  the  Loco  Focos.  I  look 
upon  the  theory  of  a  currency  purely  metallic  in  a  country  like 
this,  as  one  of  the  most  unpleasant  specimens  of  human  imbe 
cility  ever  exhibited. 

I  believe  the  State  banks,  alone,  incapable  of  furnishing  a 
sound  currency.  Having  their  origin  under  different  systems  of 
legislation,  with  dissimilar  charters  totally  powerless  beyond 
the  limits  of  the  State  in  which  they  originated,  each  eager  to 
furnish  as  large  a  portion  as  possible  of  the  circulation  of  the 
country;  these  rival  and  hostile  institutions  are  continually 
pressing  forth  their  paper,  until  public  confidence  becomes 
shaken;  their  issues  are  returned  upon  them, — suspension  of 
specie  payment  is  the  consequence,  and  seven  years  of  pecuniary 
famine  succeed  the  seven  years  of  plenty.  The  same  course  will 
then  be  pursued  again,  and  thus  the  country  will  be  alternately 
gorged  and  starved.  With  a  National  Bank  in  operation,  such  a 


A   NATIONAL    BANK.  229 

state  of  things  cannot  occur,  The  undue  issues  of  State  institu 
tions  will  be  immediately  thrown  back,  before  they  have  reached 
an  injurious  accumulation;  and  the  State  Banks,  kept  in  con 
tinued  and  equal  check  by  this  great  regulation,  will  harmoniously 
perform  their  legitimate  function  of  furnishing  a  currency  for  all 
the  domestic  business  of  the  States  to  which  they  respectively 
belong.  This  is  the  extent  to  which  State  banking  can  be 
carried, — furnishing  a  local,  l}ut  not  a  general  currency.  Expe 
rience  has  shown,  and  reason  demonstrates,  the  inability  of  the 
State  banks  to  carry  on  the  exchange  of  the  country,  and  their 
unfitness  to  act  as  the  fiscal  agents  of  the  Government,  in  the 
safe  keeping  and  disbursement  of  its  revenues.  These  offices,  I 
believe,  can  be  successfully  performed  only  by  a  National  Bank. 
By  the  establishment  of  such  an  institution,  our  currency  would 
soon  become  what  it  once  was,  the  best  in  the  world.  With 
gold  and  silver  for  a  basis,  the  issues  of  sound  State  banks  for 
all  local  purposes,  a  National  Bank  to  check  the  undue  action  of 
the  State  banks,  to  regulate  exchanges,  and  to  act  as  the  agent 
of  the  Government  in  the  collection  and  disbursement  of  its 
revenues,  we  should  have  a  mixed  currency,  which  experience 
has  twice  proven  to  us  is  sound,  regular,  and  fully  adequate  to  all 
the  wants  of  the  people  and  the  Government,  and  the  only  one 
I  believe  fitted  to  the  political,  commercial,  and  geographical 
character  of  our  country. 

In  the  establishment  of  a  National  Bank  we  can  easily  ob'  ate 
the  objectionable  features  which  have  been  urged  agains  the 
character  of  the  old  institution. 

If,  then,  I  am  elected  as  your  Representative,  I  shall  vo- 1  for 
the  immediate  establishment  of  a  National  Bank. 

1st. — For  the  purpose  of  furnishing  the  government  v  ith  a 
competent  fiscal  agent.  2d. — Because  it  will  furnish  a  cu-  rency 
of  equal  and  uniform  value  throughout  the  Union.  3d. — B  acause 
it  will  restore  the  exchanges  of  the  country,  and  relie-«  the 
community  from  the  immense  sacrifices  which  are  now  u-  ^de  in 
the  transmission  of  funds  from  one  State  to  another.  Ith. — 
Because  it  will  keep  in  check  the  State  banks,  represi  anduo 
and  inordinate  issues  of  local  paper,  and-  by  that  meant  A  aU 


230  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

likelihood,  prevent  a  recurrence  to  the  desperate  remedy  of  a 
suspension  of  specie  payments. 

I  never  heard  an  objection  to  the  old  United  States  Bank 
which  cannot  be  easily  obviated  in  chartering  a  new  one,  except 
the  constitutional  objection.  I  know  that  as  honest  politician? 
as  anv  in  the  country  have  denied  the  constitutional  power  of 
Congress  upon  this  subject.  I  have  myself,  however,  always 
entertained  a  different  opinion,  anfl  believe  Congress  has,  under 
the  present  Constitution,  power  to  charter  a  bank. 

I  would,  however,  out  of  respect  for  those  who  differ  from  me, 
be  glad  to  see  the  Constitution  so  amended  as  to  leave  no  doubt 
on  the  point. 

I  have  thus,  fellow-citizens,  frankly  given  you  my  views  on 
the  Bank  question — a  question  upon  which  my  opponents, 
Messrs  Claiborne  and  Gholson,  entertain,  I  am  informed, 
opinions  diametrically  opposite  to  my  own.  Indeed,  I  should 
never  have  placed  my  humble  pretensions  in  opposition  to 
theirs,  had  it  not  been  for  the  opinion  which  they  avow  in 
relation  to  this  all-important  subject.  They  are  both  gentlemen 
whose  personal  qualifications  to  represent  the  people  of  Missis 
sippi  no  one  can  doubt.  There  is  no  personal  rivalry  in  this 
canvass — it  is,  as  it  ought  to  be,  a  question  of  principle. 

Before  accompanying  him  on  his  electioneering  tour,  it 
seems  proper  to  give  some  account  of  Mississippi,  particu 
larly  of  its  population,  at  this  time.  The  following  table 
contains  an  official  return  of  the  census  of  all  the  counties 
in  the  State,  except  Tunica,  in  1837.  It  is  a  very  sugges 
tive  document.  The  proportion  of  young  men  is  particularly 
striking.  The  white  male  population  of  Warren  County, 
for  example,  was  3,530  ;  of  this  number  only  124  were  over 
forty-five  years  of  age. 


POPULATION    OF    MISSISSIPPI    IN    1837. 


231 


NAMES  OF  COUNTIES. 

mber  of  white  males  over 
he  age  of  forty-five. 

1 

lit 
III 

1 

2  If 

£  *>• 

ill 

mber  of  white  males  un- 
ler  eighteen  years  of  age. 

imber  of  white  females 
>ver  sixteen  years. 

imber  of  white  female* 

jnder  sixteen  years. 

.  .3 

1 
JJ 

i! 

mber  of  female  slaves  in 
sacli  county. 

* 

fc 

£ 

£ 

£ 

£ 

£ 

% 

210 

2414 

123 

758 

1016 

769 

6566 

6662 

Amite 

186 

548 

115 

864 

702 

772 

2500 

2476 

Attala,   ... 

68 

325 

54 

498 

325 

443 

374 

334 

Bolivar, 

10 

71 

12 

54 

47 

55 

392 

305 

Carroll,  
Chickasaw,  
Choctaw,   .  ..'  

142 
34 

92 

849 
110 
469 

111 

27 

82 

1156 
177 
619 

823 
112 

478 

989 
169 
644 

2286 
118 
474 

2277 
113 

485 

Claiborne,  

155 

970 

118 

671 

644 

568 

4433 

4439 

Clarke,  
Copiah,  

75 

202 

216 
767 

42 
170 

405 
1192 

303 
910 

370 
1145 

265 

1655 

238 
1733 

Covington,  .... 

84 

277 

64 

563 

863 

488 

371 

425 

De  Soto 

Totals 

882 

Franklin,  

126 

405 

88 

607 

398 

442 

1254 

1293 

Greene,   

61 

138 

27 

327 

226 

267 

179 

218 

Hancock, 

166 

322 

58 

445 

350 

414 

357 

363 

Hinds, 

314 

2137 

212 

1695 

1494 

1649 

7059 

6S70 

128 

637 

114 

764 

608 

710 

2583 

2478 

Itawamba,  

65 

263 

36 

434 

288 

888 

99 

91 

Jackson,  

88 

191 

47 

393 

290 

310 

199 

194 

Jasper,  

81 

308 

63 

570 

378 

503 

365 

410 

Jefferson,  
Jones,  

120 
45 

507 
100 

94 
30 

537 
335 

506 
288 

495 
261 

4183 
49 

4107 
59 

Keiuper,  .... 

125 

556 

79 

1013 

667 

940 

1003 

1130 

Koahotna,  
La  Fayette,  
Lauderdale  

16 

82 
89 

165 
442 
345 

20 
69 

45 

143 
528 
542 

109 
391 
392 

109 
493 
470 

152 
751 

249 

145 

700 
295 

Lawrence,  
Leake,  

175 

85 

563 
195 

106 

55 

1058 
195 

755 
334 

921 
274 

1156 
326 

1066 
215 

Lowndes,  
Madison,  

240 
138 

1359 
1103 

191 
126 

1348 

832 

1109 
693 

1206 
780 

3767 

5448 

3595 
5790 

Marion, 

104 

279 

72 

585 

388 

512 

775 

779 

Marshall,  

326 

1538 

204 

2-203 

1679 

2058 

2663 

2561 

Monroe,  
Neshoba,  

158 
80 

728 
123 

148 
16 

1086 
206 

714 
133 

1005 
150 

173 
154 

1155 
159 

Newton, 

70 

287 

63 

421 

299 

416 

21  Y 

208 

Noxubee,  

117 

698 

119 

854 

618 

775 

2262 

2176 

Octibbeha,  
Perry,  
Pike,  !  

49 

77 
199 

360 
191 
543 

54 
27 

108 

361 
382 
1151 

273 
306 

788  ' 

605 

384 
957 

767 
208 
1055 

712 
224 
1110 

Ponola, 

52 

327 

46 

334 

242 

295 

520 

412 

Pontotoc,  

74 

369 

63 

414 

299 

353 

590 

568 

Rankin,  .. 

129 

513 

88 

845 

579 

741 

993 

963 

Scott, 

35 

131 

2. 

251 

157 

224 

116 

124 

Simpson,  

109 

347 

55 

701 

482 

622 

418 

473 

Smith,  
Tallahatchie, 

41 
49 

169 
306 

26 
85 

328 
337 

213 
290 

308 
311 

135 

780 

167 
742 

Tippah,  
Tishamingo,  .  . 
Warren,  
Washington,  .... 

162 
98 
124 
36 

626 
346 
2387 
304 

135 
107 
141 
24 

1112 
751 
878 
150 

820 
507 
948 
142 

1069 
661 
787 
119 

595 
89 

4841 
29SO 

662 
92 
4845 

2822 

Wayne,  
Wilkinson,  
Winston,  

56 
149 
86 

155 
537 
394 

36 
93 
62 

276 
723 
634 

225 
671 
442 

245 
634 

578 

416 
4706 

484 

484 

4888 
475 

Yalabusha, 
Yazoo,  1  i 

182 
100 

1103 
1111 

170 
110 

1272 

788 

1025 
645 

1119 

679  | 

2084 
4204 

2131 
4247 

6103 

30594 

4541 

26181  | 

27834  ! 

32461  i 

SI  838 

w.-  ,  r 

82555 

MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 


The  following  table,  prepared  from  the  last  United  States 
Census,  gives  an  interesting  statistical  sketch  of  the  growth 
and  character  of  the  population  of  Mississippi,  down  to 
1850:— 


White 
Inhabitants. 

Increase 
per  cent. 

Free 
Colored. 

Slaves. 

Increase 
per  cent. 

Total 
Population. 

8,850 
40,352 
75,448 
136,621 
375,651 
606,526 

1800 
1810 
1820 
1830 
1840 
1850 

5,179 
23,024 
42,176 
70,443 
179,074 
295,718 

344.56 
83.18 
67.02 
154.21 
65.13 

182 

240 
458 
519 
1,366 
930 

3,489 

17,088 
32,814 
65,659 
195  211 
309,878 

389.76 
92.02 
100  09 
197.31 
58.74 

We  have  no  means  of  ascertaining  the  different  profes 
sions,  occupations  and  trades,  of  the  people  in  1837  ;  but 
the  census  of  1850  contains  a  table  devoted  to  this  subject, 
from  which  it  appears  that  of  a  total  male  population  of 
75,082,  there  were  44,833  engaged  in  farming  ;  5,343  were 
planters  ;  2,324  were  overseers  ;  2,287  were  students  ; 
there  were  1,506  merchants,  1,090  clerks,  5,403  laborers, 
1,217  physicians,  590  lawyers,  471  clergymen,  and  several 
thousand  mechanics.  As  late  as  1850,  more  than  one-half 
of  the  free  population  were  natives  of  other  sections  of  the 
Union.  A  large  proportion  of  them  came  from  North  and 
South  Carolina,  Alabama  and  Tennessee. 

Mississippi  was  formed  out  of  territory  ceded  to  the 
United  States  by  South  Carolina  ;  and  was  admitted  into  the 
Union,  December  10th,  1817.  In  size  it  is  the  thirteenth 
State  in  the  Union,  being  considerably  larger  than  either 
Pennsylvania  or  New  York.  It  covers  an  area  of  47,151 
square  miles,  is  highly  favored  in  situation  ; — and  has 
resources,  agricultural  and  commercial,  capable  of  almost 
unlimited  development.  In  1836,  it  had  1,048,530  acres  of 
land  under  cultivation,  and  produced  317,783  bales  of 
cottoa. 

It  is  clear  from  these  statements,  that  the  great  body  of 


ELECTIONEERING    TOUR.  233 

the  electors  of  Mississippi  were  plain  farmers  and  laboring 
men.     Many  of  them,  moreover,  came  from  different  and 
distant  parts  of  the  country  ;  bringing  with  them,  of  course, 
their  various  local  customs,  prejudices  and  traditions.     In 
each  principal  town  could   be   found   representatives — not 
only  of  every  sectional — but  of  every  party  feeling  in  the 
United  States.     The  popular  assembly  often  contained  men 
who  had  imbibed  their  earliest  political  sentiments  from  the 
lips  of  Henry  Clay  in  Kentucky,  of  Andrew  Jackson  in  Ten 
nessee,  of  Calhoun  in  South  Carolina,  or  of  Daniel  Webster  in 
New  England.     Not  a  few  had  always  regarded  the  Rich 
mond  Enquirer  as  the  oracle  of  public  wisdom.     Some  were 
born  Federalists,  some  Nullifiers  ;  others,  Jeffersonian  Repub 
licans.    Add  to  all  this,  a  general  dislike  of  Yankees-^ and  the 
reader  will  see  that  Mr.  Prentiss,  in  attempting  to  revolution 
ize  the  politics  of  Mississippi,  undertook  a  pretty  difficult  task ; 
one  requiring  no  ordinary  degree  of  skill  and  oratorical  power. 
His   letters   give   some  account  of  the  toil  and  travel 
attending  this  canvass  ;    but  they  afford  no  conception  of 
the  enthusiasm  with  which   he  was   everywhere   greeted. 
His  fame  had  gone  before  him  into  every  corner  of  the 
State  ;  the  popular  ear  and  eye  were  on  the  alert  to  see 
and  hear  one,  whose  pithy  speeches  and  independent,  manly 
course   in   the  Legislature  had   already  won  for  him  uni 
versal    attention.      The   Whig    newspapers    of    the    day 
teemed   with   glowing   reports   of    his   reception    and   ad 
dresses,   as  he  passed  in  triumph  from  county  to  county. 
On  each  new  occasion  he  seemed  to  surpass  himself,  and 
before  he  had  completed  the  tour  of  the  State,  the  convic 
tion  of  his  extraordinary  character  and  abilities,  long  enter 
tained  by  his  friends,  was  the  public  opinion  of  Mississippi. 
Such  was  the  victorious  power  of  his  eloquence,  that  he 
might   have   exclaimed   concerning   almost   every  spot   he 
visited, — veni,  DIXI,  rid  !     His  return  to  Vicksburg  was  lika 


234  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

that  of  a  young  general  from  the  sudden  conquest  of  • 
province. 

The  following  brief  reminiscences  of  this  canvass,  may  not 
be  unacceptable  to  the  reader. 

Mr.  PKENTISS  opened  the  campaign  by  a  brilliant  speech  at 
Natchez,  in  the  presence  of  a  host  of  his  oldest  and  most  devoted 
personal  friends.  Nothing  could  exceed  the  pride  and  gratifica 
tion,  with  which  they  witnessed  his  political  debut  on  this 
theatre,  where  he  had  gathered  his  earliest  forensic  laurels,  and 
where,  too,  he  had  found  his  first  home  in  the  Southwest. 
Many  in  the  crowd  well  remembered  him,  when  eight  years 
before,  a  lame  and  lisping  boy,  he  used  to  ride  into  and  out 
of  Natchez,  charming  all  who  met  him,  by  his  genial  wit,  his  gay 
repartees  and  mirth-provoking  Yankee  stories.  None,  who  then 
knew  him,  where  surprised  to  find  the  modest  young  school 
master  from  New  England,  grown  into  the  persuasive  orator 
and  ripe  statesman ;  for  it  was  only  the  fulfillment  of  many  a 
friendly  prophecy.  There  was  the  utmost  eagerness  to  hear 
him  on  the  part  of  Democrats  as  well  as  Whigs  ;  the  feeling  was 
increased  by  the  unbounded  praises,  which  a  speech,  made  by 
him  in  his  native  town  during  a  recent  visit  North,  had  elicited 
from  the  Portland  press.  Notices  of  this  speech  were  copied 
into  the  Mississippi  papers,  and  naturally  excited  a  very  kindly 
sentiment  towards  him.  He  had  reflected  honor  upon  his 
adopted  State  in  the  most  distant  corner  of  the  Republic. 

Among  the  many  personal  friends,  who  welcomed  him  on  this 
occasion,  the  name  of  one  ought  not  to  be  omitted—that  of  John 
M.  Ross ;  a  young  lawyer  of  eminent  promise— accomplished,  of 
fine  literary  taste,  full  of  high  aspirations,  and  the  very  soul  of 
honor — but  destined,  alas !  in  a  few  weeks  for  the  grave.  He 
and  Mr.  PKENTISS  were  most  warmly  attached  to  each  other.* 

*  In  a  letter  of  Gen.  Quitman  to  Mr.  P.,  dated  Sept.  17,  183T,  I  find  the  following 
reference  to  this  gentleman  : 

"  MY  DEAR  PRENTISS  :— 

I  am  scarcely  recovered  from  the  shock  my  feelings  have  sustained 
&t  the  loss  of  our  noble,  gallant,  and  accomplished  friend  Ross,  to  reply  to  your 


ADDRESS    AT    NATCHEZ.  235 

Of  Mr.  P.'s  address  it  is,  of  course,  impossible,  after  the  lapsa 
of  so  many  years,  to  give  any  fitting  account.  It  related  chiefly 
to  the  currency,  then  the  all-absorbing  question  of  the  day. 
Edmund  Burke,  I  think  the  remark  is  his,  has  observed  that 
some  of  the  most  important  convulsions  in  society,  have  grown 
out  of  money  questions.  The  great  civil  revolution  now  in  pro 
cess  throughout  the  country,  and  which  was  to  be  consummated 
by  the  Presidential  election  of  1840,  was  a  striking  instance  in 
point.  Mr.  PKENTISS  had  evidently  studied  with  much  care  the 
whole  subject,  both  in  its  theory  and  practice.  The  masterly 
ability,  with  which  he  discussed  it  on  this  occasion,  and  the 
original,  ever-varying  and  beautiful  imagery,  by  which  he  illus 
trated  arid  enforced  his  arguments,  impressed  the  entire  audience 
with  admiration.  In  showing  how  the  Administration  party 
had  availed  themselves  of  the  vulgar  prejudice  against  banks, 
and  thus  subsidized  the  Agrarian  or  Locofoco  faction,  then  just 
emerging  from  the  maze  of  New  York  politics,  he  drew  a  pic 
ture  of  the  great  national  "  wire- workers  "  and  their  operations, 
so  graphic,  exact,  and  characteristic,  wheel  within  wheel,  that 
in  your  mind's  eye,  you  seemed  to  see  the  vast  machinery  of 
partisan  warfare  in  veritable  motion.  It  called  forth  shouts  of 
applause.  In  such  descriptions,  his  oratory  was  "  terrible  as  an 
army  with  banners  ;"  nothing  could  stand  against  the  energy  of 
his  look,  gesture,  and  impassioned  logic,  when  once  he  was 
fairly  under  way,  in  depicting  and  denouncing  the  tricks,  dupli 
city  and  selfish  cunning  of  mere  party  management.  No  person, 
who  ever  listened  to  him  when  thus  aroused,  could  doubt,  for 
an  instant,  the  intense  sincerity  and  force  of  his  convictions. 
Scorn  of  all  meanness  and  double  dealing,  whether  in  one  man 
or  a  million  of  men,  appeared  to  be  a  dominant  instinct  of  his 
nature.  He  had  abundant  opportunities  of  witnessing  both 

letter,  which  came  to  my  hands  several  days  since.  Alas !  I  can  hardly  realize 
the  fact  that  our  brave  and  generous  friend  is  no  more.  It  was  but  a  week  since 
that,  in  a  public  speech,  he  pronounced  upon  your  character  one  of  the  most  elo 
quent,  chaste,  and  beautiful  eulogiums  I  have  ever  listened  to.  It  now  sounds 
in  my  ears  like  the  melody  of  the  dying  swan.  He  died  of  yellow  fever,  and  has  lefl 
a  void  among  us,  which  cannot  be  filled.  He  ^as  buried  by  the  Fencibles  with  all 
the  honors  of  war."-  -ED. 


236  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

qualities  during  this  canvass,  and  rarely  afterwards  did  h« 
address  the  people,  North  or  South,  without  expressing  his 
abhorrence,  and  warning  them  against  the  perils,  of  what  ha 
called  "political' jugglery"  and  "  thimhle-rigging."  This,  of 
itself,  imparted  to  his  speeches  a  lofty  moral  tone,  which  could 
not  fail  to  impress  his  bitterest  opponents  with  respect.  Even 
when  dealing  with  their  opinions  most  severely,  and,  as  they 
felt,  most  unjustly,  they  readily  admitted  that  he  did  it  "all 
in  honor,"  and  were  not  unfrequently  the  first  to  congratulate 
him  on  his  unrivalled  eloquence! 

In  the  address  at  Natchez,  and,  as  far  as  I  know,  throughout 
the  canvass,  his  tone,  when  speaking  of  his  opponents  personally, 
was,  in  the  highest  degree,  courteous  and  dignified.  There 
could  be  no  better  proof  of  this  than  the  fact,  that  the  Adminis 
tration  organ  at  Natchez ; — a  newspaper,  characterized  at  that 
time,  like  too  many  of  the  party  presses,  by  a  spirit  of  extreme 
violence  and  blackguardism,  admitted,  in  noticing  the  speech  the 
next  day,  that  in  the  treatment  of  his  opponents,  Mr.  PRENTISS 
made  use  of  only  one  exceptionable  word.  But  this  was  only  a 
momentary  admission,  elicited  by  a  sudden  impulse  of  honor  and 
fair  dealing.  As  soon  as  Mr.  P.  had  left  town,  there  were  let  loose 
upon  him  from  this,  and  subsequently  from  other  Administration 
presses  in  the  State,  full  volleys  of  poison-dipt  slanders  and  mis* 
representations.*  Not  that  the  editors  of  these  presses  had  any 
private  pique  against  him,  or  failed  to  admire  his  splendid  talents 
and  frank,  generous  bearing ;  but  it  was  a  part  of  the  game,  by 
which  they  hoped  to  secure  his  defeat.  If  Mr.  PRENTISS  after 
wards  lost  somewhat  of  that  amenity  and  kindliness  of  tone 
towards  his  opponents,  which  distinguished  his  treatment  of 
them  at  this  time  (and  it  cannot  be  denied  that  he  occasionally 

*  In  the  letter  of  Gen.  Quitman,  already  cited,  I  find  the  following  allusion  to  this 

fubject :— "  The  infamous  attempts  of and  his  advisers,  to  injure  you,  will  not 

succeed.  You  have  already  a  specimen  of  the  low  malignity  of  the  wire-workers 
here.  All  decent  men  regard  with  abhorrence  the  late  assassin-like  stab  at  your 
character.  It  is  beneath  your  notice.  I  trust  that  your  health  will  be  preserved, 
and  that  yon  will  energetically  follow  up  the  vigorous  onset  you  have  made.  If 
you  fail,  I  shall  despair  of  the  Republio."--Ei>. 


ELECTIONEERING   TOUR.  237 

did),  it  was  partly,  no  doubt,  in  consequence  of  the  irritating 
effect  of  these  rude  assaults.  A  man's  political  nerves  must  be 
made  of  iron  —  and  in  this  country,  they  should  be  composed  of 
no  softer  stuff  —  r:ot  to  grow  sensitive  under  such  abrasion. 

It  was  no  wonder  that  there  should  have  been  a  strong  desire 
to  prevent  Mr.  P.'s  election.  His  speech  at  Natchez  had  sent 
terror  into  the  Administration  ranks,  and  it  was  instantly  decided 
by  their  leaders  that  the  owner  of  such  a  tongue  would  be  a 
very  troublesome  member  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  at 
Washington,  and  ought  by  no  means  to  have  a  chance  of  wag 
ging  it  there.  But  all  their  efforts  were  in  vain.  He  had  "set 
the  ball  in  motion,"  and  it  continued  to  roll  with  irresistible 
force  until  the  battle  was  won.  I  doubt  if  a  more  signal  instance 
of  the  triumph  of  personal  appeal  and  argument  over  party  dis 
cipline,  prejudice,  and  hostile  opinions,  can  easily  be  pointed  out 
in  the  history  of  Congressional  elections.  In  the  Northern  sec 
tion  of  the  State,  a  very  strong  feeling  had  been  aroused  against 
him,  on  account  of  his  course  in  the  Legislature  upon  the  ques 
tion  of  admitting  the  members  from  the  New  Counties  ;  but  his 
frank  explanation  of  the  motives  which  governed  him,  changed 
that  feeling  into  cordial  approval,  and  nowhere  was  he  more 
warmly  sustained  than  in  these  very  counties.* 


*  When  Mr.  PRENTISS  reached  Holly  Springs,  it  was  ascertained  that  Judge  Hu- 
ling  would  decline  the  nomination,  and  much  difficulty  was  encountefed  in  supply 
ing  his  place.  The  Whigs  were  in  a  minority  in  the  State,  and  especially  in  the 
ten  Chickasaw  counties  —  and  Mr.  P.  was  more  unpopular  in  those  counties 
than  the  Whig  cause,  in  consequence  of  his  course  in  the  Legislature.  At  length 
my  name  was  placed  on  the  ticket,  from  my  supposed  personal  popularity.  My 
friends  would  not  permit  me  to  decline.  Mr.  PRENTISS  canvassed  the  whole  State 
—  and  here,  in  my  own  section,  where  it  was  expected  I  would  give  him  strength, 
he  beat  me.  He  beat  me  even  in  my  own  county.  I  have  often  thought  that  I 
occupied,  in  that  race,  about  the  relation  to  Mr.  P.  that  a  yawl  on  the  Mississippi 
river  sustains  to  a  splendid  steamboat  ! 

He  was  a  great  favorite  with  all  classes  of  the  people—  all  learned  from  him,  and, 
therefore,  he  suited  all.  In  politics,  as  in  his  private  relations,  honesty  was  hia 
guiding  star.  But  I  am  at  a  loss  to  speak  of  him  in  a  general  manner  ;  for  he  was 
altogether  out  of  the  general  order  of  men.  He  was,  certainly,  the  great  man,  not 
only  of  Mississippi  but  of  the  Southwest—  and  from  the  end  of  this  remarkabl« 
ennvass,  few  could  pretend  to  compete  with  him  for  the  honor  of  being  so  regarded. 

Letter  from  Mr. 


238  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

In  the  midst  of  the  canvass,  Mr.  Van  Buren's  message  at  the  called 
session  arrived,  a  document  which  excited  great  dissatisfaction 
among  the  Democrats,  while  it  was  everywhere  regarded  by  the 
JWhigs  as  virtually  identifying  the  financial  policy  of  the  admin 
istration  with  the  absurd  and  destructive  doctrine  of  the  Loco 
Focos.  Indeed,  the  general  designation  of  the  party  in  power 
by  the  name  of  that  sect,  dates  from  this  period,  and  was  in  con 
sequence  of  Mr.  Van  Buren's  message.  An  interesting  and  most 
instructive  essay,  by  the  way,  might  be  written  upon  the  rise 
and  influence  of  party-names  in  the  United  States  since  the 
establishment  of  the  Constitution.  It  it  is  a  pity  some  competent 
person  would  not  undertake  the  task.  The  terms  Federalist, 
Jeffersonian  Republican,  National  Republican,  Jackson-man, 
Democrat  and  Whig,  Free-Soiler,  and  the  like,  contain,  each  one 
of  them,  a  valuable  political  history. 

Mr.  Van  Buren's  message,  and  the  cheering  news  of  great 
"Whig  victories  in  Tennessee,  New  Jersey,  Rhode  Island,  Maine, 
and  other  States,  doubtless  helped  to  determine  the  result  in 
November.  But  notwithstanding,  it  was  mainly  Mr.  P.'s  own 
extraordinary  exertions  which  secured  the  triumph.  From 
beginning  to  end  of  the  campaign,  the  eyes  of  the  whole 
party  were  turned  upon  him  as  their  champion ;  and  when, 
at  its  close,  victory  rested  upon  the  Whig  banner,  he  was 
hailed  by  acclamation  as  the  hero  of  the  contest.  The  rejoicing 
of  his  friends  at  this  result  was  unbounded ;  for  they  well 
knew  what  honor  he  would  reflect  upon  Mississippi.  Their  joy 
was  heightened  by  the  deep  mortification  which,  in  common 
with  many  intelligent  Democrats,  they  felt  at  losing,  through 
the  folly  of  a  double  ticket,  a  Whig  governor,  and  the  con 
sequent  election  to  that  important  office  (alack  the  day !)  of 
Alexander  McNutt — destined  to  unenviable  notoriety  as  the 
Great  Eepudiator. 

From  this  time  to  that  of  his  abandoning  the  State,  S.  S. 
PKENTISS  was  the  pride,  the  delight,  and  the  chosen  standard- 
Dearer  of  the  Whigs  of  Mississippi. 

The  following  extracts  from  a  letter,  written  at  the  time, 


ELECTIONEERING   TOUR.  239 

may  not  be  uninteresting  in  connection  with  the  above.  It 
is  dated  BENTON,  Miss.,  Sept.  4,  1831.  Several  chapters 
might  readily  be  filled  with  similar  letters  from  all  parts  of 
the  State. 

The  voice  of  the  eloquent  and  patriotic  PEENTISS  had  scarcely 
died  away  upon  my  ears,  when  I  seated  myself  to  announce  to 
you,  that  he  addressed  a  very  large  assembly  of  his  fellow-citi 
zens  of  Yazoo  in  this  place  to-day.  Never  in  my  life  do  I  recol 
lect  to  have  seen  so  delighted  an  audience,  manifested  by  the 
breathless  attention  which  they  gave  the  speaker  for  the  space 
of  over  two  hours.  Although  there  were  those  present  who  are 
commonly  known  as  Van  Buren  men,  and  consequently  are  dis 
posed  to  entertain  different  political  opinions  from  Mr.  PEENTISS, 
there  were  none  who  exhibited,  throughout  the  address,  any 
other  feeling  than  that  of  the  utmost  satisfaction.  Although  Mr. 
P.  was  unsparing  in  his  denunciation  of  what  is  commonly  called 
"  the  experiment"  upon  the  currency  of  the  country,  yet  he  was 
strictly  courteous  towards  those  who  had  the  misfortune  to  differ 
with  him  in  opinion.  He  said  he  came  not  amongst  us  to  tear 
open  old  political  wounds,  or  to  excite  old  political  feuds.  That 
was  not  his  business.  He  came  here,  he  said,  as  the  humble  ad 
vocate  of  great  political  principles — principles  which  intimately 
concerned  the  well-being  and  happiness  not  only  of  every  man 
who  heard  him,  but  of  the  whole  people  of  the  United  States. 
He  asked  not  office  simply  because  he  was  a  member  of  a  parti 
cular  party.  He  believed  that  a  period  had  arrived  in  our  coun 
try  when  something  must  be  done  by  legislation,  or  our  most 
sacred  rights,  if  not  our  liberties,  would  be  wrested  from  us 
amidst  the  general  wreck  of  property.  *  *  * 

Would  to  God  every  citizen  of  Yazoo  could  have  heard  this 
masterly  speech  !  I  wish  much  I  could  do  it  justice — but  that 
is  utterly  impossible.  Mr.  PEENTISS,  if  elected,  will  make  a  proud 
representative  for  Mississippi.  His  eloquent  voice  could  do  much 
in  these  trying  times  to  stay  the  waves  of  corruption,  which  arc 
rolling  over  the  land. 


240  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

The  people  of  Holly  Springs  insisted  upon  his  partaking 
of  a  banquet  with  them  before  going  on  his  way.  Some  of 
the  sentiments  offered  on  this  occasion,  show  better  than 
any  description  could  do,  the  political  temper  of  the  day,  as 
well  as  the  feelings  excited  by  Mr.  P.'s  address.  The  fol- 
following  are  samples  : 

The  good  old  Republican  Principles — May  they  soon  take 
place  of  the  new-fangled  democracy. 

Our  Country  and  our  Government — One  and  indivisible — the 
same  currency  for  each. 

S.  S.  Prentiss — Like  the  mighty  men  of  old,  may  he  traverse 
our  country  round,  and  wherever  he  goes,  leave  deep  impressions 
of  political  truths  upon  every  human  heart. 

8.  S.  Prentiss — A  scholar  and  a  statesman  worthy  of  our  con 
fidence — may  we  be  honored  with  him  as  our  Representative  in 
Congress. 

8.  S.  Prentiss— The  Champion  of  Mississippi— Huzza  for  him 
and  the  National  Bank. 

The  Ides  of  November— May  they  show  that  the  people  of 
North  Mississippi  feel  a  returning  sense  of  justice  towards  our 
distinguished  guest. 

The  following  letters  will  fittingly  close  the  account  of 
this  canvass  : 

TO  HIS  YOUNGEST  BROTHER. 

COLUMBUS,  Miss.,  October  6, 1837. 

DEAR  GEORGE: — 

Since  I  wrote  you  last  from  Yicksburg,  I  have 
Deen  upon  my  electioneering  campaign,  and  so  busily  have  I 
been  engaged,  that  this  is  absolutely  the  first  opportunity  for 
lending  you  a  line,  which  has  occurred  to  me.  I  have  visited 
about  half  the  counties,  containing  two-thirds  of  the  population 
of  the  State.  I  have  made  about  fifty  stump  speeches,  averaging 
in  length  two  hours  each,  and  have  ridden  thirty  miles  a  day  ;  so 
you  see  that  electioneering  is  no  sinecure.  I  am  much  pleased 


LETTERS. 


241 


with  my  prospects,  and  should  not  wonder  if  I  was  successful  in 
the  canvass,  notwithstanding  my  prognostications  to  the  con 
trary.  I  have  visited  the  counties  most  hostile  to  me  (the  new 
counties),  and  think  I  have  in  a  great  degree  succeeded  in  re 
moving  their  prejudices.  I  have  had  an  arduous  but  pleasant 
and  healthy  time  of  it.  I  have  been  several  times  lost  in  the 
woods,  and"  out  nearly  all  night  among  the  Indians,  of  whom 
we  have  6  or  7,000  in  the  State.  The  election  in  July,  I  am 
satisfied,  was  no  test  of  the  strength  of  the  Whig  party,  and  I 
make  proselytes  every  time  I  make  a  speech.  My  health  is  fine 
and  my  spirits  good.  I  shall  continue  my  exertions  till  the  day 
of  the  election  (first  Monday  in  November),  by  which  time  I 
shall  have  completed  the  tour  of  the  whole  State.  I  have,  how 
ever,  accomplished  the  most  difficult  part  of  my  labor,  and  have 
now  to  visit  the  older  counties.  One  of  these  times,  tell  Anna, 
I  intend  to  give  her  an  account  of  some  of  my  adventures,  which 
will  be  equal  to  a  romance ;  though,  to  be  sure,  an  election 
eering  hero  will  be  somewhat  of  a  curiosity.  After  the  day  of 
election,  I  shall  return  immediately  to  Vicksburg.  Times  are 
terribly  bad  in  this  country,  and,  at  present,  there  is  but  a 
small  prospect  of  better.  I  will  write  again  soon.  My  love  to 

you  all.    In  haste, 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

SEAEGENT. 


TO    WM.     0.     8MKDE8,     ESQ.,     VIOKSBURG. 

COLUMBCS,  Oct.  8,  188T. 

DEAR  SMEDKS: — 

I  arrived  at  this  place  day  before  yesterday,  but 
this  is  the  first  moment  of  leisure  which  has  been  afforded  me. 
I  have  visited  all  the  western  and  northern  counties,  and  have 
little  doubt  of  my  success  in  November.  I  have  experienced  a 
favorable  reception  in  the  Ohickasaw  counties,  far  exceeding  my 
most  sanguine  expectations,  and  believe  I  have  succeeded  in 
removing  all  the  prejudice  arising  out  of  my  course  on  the 
Chickasaw  question. 

We  were  all  mistaken  and  made  a  great  faux  pas  in  the  nomi- 

11 


242  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

nation  of  Judge  Hilling.  He  has  declined  running.  We  have, 
however,  a  candidate  in  the  field,  who  will  answer  the  purpose 
as  well  as  Huling.  Thomas  J.  Word,  Esq.,  a  member  of  the  bar 
at  Pontatoc,  has  been  nominated  at  that  place,  and  also  here. 
He  has  taken  the  field,  and  will  prove  an  efficient  aid  to  our 
cause.  He  is  a  gentleman  of  high  standing,  both  for  charac 
ter  and  ability.  He  is  perfectly  orthodox  in  his  views,  and 
advocates  precisely  the  doctrines  contained  in  my  circular..  Mr. 
Word  is  popular  in  the  new  counties  and  will  be  of  great  service 
dhere. 

You  must  have  his  name  run  up  at  once  in  our  Whig  papers, 
and  let  it  be  generally  known.  Our  friends  in  the  west  must 
support  him  unanimously  on  the  ticket  with  me,  for  I  have 
assured  him  he  will  receive  the  full  support  of  the  party  there.* 
He  will  confine  his  canvassing  to  the  Chickasaw  and  Choctaw 
counties,  while  I  shall  take  the  eastern  counties.  This  is  the 
arrangement  between  us.  By  concert  and  action  on  the  part 
of  our  friends,  our  ticket  is  certain  to  succeed.  I  have  had  a 
laborious  but  agreeable  time,  and  have  not  visited  a  single 
county  in  which  I  have  not  received  great  encouragement. 
Indeed,  [  doubt  not  that  three-fourths  of  the  people  are  in  favor 
of  a  National  Bank.  I  have  visited  about  twenty-six  counties,  and 
made  some  forty  speeches.  In  Marshall,  I  think  we  shall  divide 
the  county,  or  perhaps  get  a  majority.  I  have  not  been  in  a 
single  county  in  which  there  will  not  be  a  change  in  our  favor 
in  November.  Try  and  let  it  be  as  generally  known  as  possible, 
that  Mr.  Word  is  a  candidate,  and  is  now  on  the  stump  before 
the  people,  and  is  the  right  sort  0f  a  man  in  every  respect. 

I  have  not  time  to  write  as  fully  as  I  wish,  and  perhaps  shall 
not  write  again.  Assure  all  my  friends  that  if  they  will  exert 
themselves,  our  success  is  certain.  Show  Guion  this,  as  I  have 
no  time  to  write  another  letter.  In  haste, 

Your  friend, 

S.  S.  PRENTISS. 


*  Mr.  Word's  vote,  which,  in  other  parts  of  the  State,  fell  behind  that  of  Mr. 
Prentiss  more  than  1,300,  was  in  Warren,  Mr.  P.'s  own  county,  exactly  the  same— 
r  IB.  870.— ED. 


LETTERS  248 

TO     HIS    YOUNGEST    BEOTHEE. 

VICKSBCRQ,  Nov.  14,  1837. 

DEAE  GEOBGE:— 

I  returned  two  or  three  days  since  from  my  elec 
tioneering  tour,  and  have  delayed  writing  till  I  could  give  yon 
some  information  as  to  the  result.  I  have  had  sufficient  returns 
to  assure  me  of  my  election  by  a  larger  vote  than  eilher  Claiborne 
or  Gholson  got  in  July.  Though  many  of  the  Democrats  would 
not  vote  at  all,  yet  I  anticipate  a  full  majority  of  the  whole 
strength  of  the  State,  polled  and  unpolled.  My  election  by  a 
large  majority  of  the  votes  given,  I  consider  placed  beyond 
doubt.  As  you  anticipate  in  your  last  letter,  I  shall  claim  my 
seat,  and  armed  with  the  great  u  democracy  of  numbers,"  as  the 
Democrats  call  it,  I  have  some  hopes  of  procuring  a  reversal  of 
the  outrageous  and  party-vote  in  Congress.  Claiborne  and 
Gholson  have  ruined  themselves  by  their  course,  which  has 
created  very  great  excitement  here.  I  visited  forty-five  counties 
during  my  canvass,  and  performed  a  task  in  riding  and  talking 
unparalleled,  I  imagine,  in  electioneering  annals.  For  ten  weeks, 
I  averaged  upward  of  thirty  miles  a  day  on  horseback,  and 
spoke  two  hours  each  week  day.  I  had  my  appointments  made 
in  advance  through  the  State,  and  did  not  miss  a  single  one,  rain 
or  shine.  I  enjoyed  excellent  health  during  the  trip.  In 
about  two  weeks,  if  I  am  not  much  mistaken  in  my  calcula 
tions,  I  shall  be  wending  my  way  to  the  Federal  City,  though 
I  consider  it  extremely  doubtful  whether  I  succeed  in  ob 
taining  the  seat.  I  found  a  number  of  letters  from  home  on 
my  return,  and  need  not  assure  you  that  they  were  welcome 
messengers.  I  was  much  alarmed  to  hear  of  mothers  illness, 
but  trust,  from  your  last,  that  she  has  entirely  recovered.  It 
was  fortunate  you  had  moved  before  it  occurred,  on  account  of 
the  superior  comfort  of  your  present  situation.  S.  was  here  on 
my  return,  and  is  still  with  me.  He  is  well  and  in  good  spirits. 
I  shall  write  again  soon,  giving  you  more  fully  the  result  of  the 
election  as  I  learn  it.  My  love  to  you  all. 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

SEABGENT. 


844  MEMCIR  OP  s.  a.  PRENTISS. 


CHAPTER    X. 

Arrives  in  Washington— The  Lower  House  of  Congress  in  1838— Mississippi  Con. 
tested  Election— His  first  Speech  on  claiming  his  Seat— The  Admiration  it  excited 
—Mr.  Webster's  and  Mr.  Fillmore's  Opinions  of  it— Mr.  Legare's  Reply  to  it— His 
second  Speech— What  followed— The  final  Result— Is  rejected— An  Error  corrected 
touching  a  Remark  of  Mr.  Clay— Public  Dinner  on  the  Eve  of  his  Return  to  Missis 
sippi  and  a  Union  Speech  of  Mr.  Webster— Letters. 

MT.  29.     1838. 

HE  did  not  reach  Washington  until  near  the  end  of  the 
year.     The  day  after  his  arrival  he  wrote  home  : 


WASHINGTON  CITY,  Dec.  2T,  1837. 

UEAE  GEORGE  : — 

I  am  at  length  in  the  "  city  of  magnificent  dis 
tances."  I  arrived  here  last  evening,  after  an  exceedingly  tedious 
and  disagreeable  trip  up  the  river  and  across  the  mountains.  I 
left  Vicksburg  about  the  10th  inst.,  not  so  soon  by  two  weeks  as 
I  had  expected  ;  but  the  returns  of  the  election  came  in  so  slowly 
and  I  had  so  much  private  business  to  arrange,  that  it  was  im 
possible  for  me  to  leave  at  an  earlier  period.  I  see,  however, 
that  some  of  the  newspapers  have  had  me  here  for  a  fortnight, 
and  one  of  the  letter  writers  has  even  taken  the  liberty  of  re 
signing  for  me.  I  have  not  yet  arranged  my  plan  of  operations, 
but  shall  do  so  in  a  day  or  two.  I  wish,  first,  to  look  about  me 
and  see  how  the  land  lies.  I  have  my  credentials  and  everything 
necessary  for  presenting  the  matter  in  the  most  imposing  atti 
tude.  I  shall  have  a  vigorous  contest,  and  the  result  is  doubt 
ful  ;  but  my  impression  is  that  I  shall  obtain  the  seat.  There 
would  be  no  difficulty  in  the  case,  were  it  not  that  it  will  be 
•*?ftde  a  party  question  ;  and  the  Van  Bnren  party  are  in  too  des- 


LETTERS.  245 

perate  a  condition  to  give  up,  without  a  struggle,  the  two  votes 
of  Olaiborne  and  Gholson.  By  the  by,  Gholson  is  very  sick,  and 
will  not  be  able  to  participate  in  the  discussion  or  to  appear  in 
the  House.  Personally  I  care  very  little  for  the  result.  I  have 
achieved  a  triumph  in  the  election,  sufficient  to  satisfy  my  ambi 
tion.  I  received  the  largest  vote  ever  cast  in  the  State,  between 
two  and  three  thousand  more  than  Claiborne  received  in  July 
last,  and  that  too  in  the  face  of  the  most  bitter  and  unprincipled 
opposition.  But  enough  at  present  of  politics.  I  shall  keep  you 
informed  of  the  progress  of  events  as  they  occur.  I  found  here 
a  letter  from  you  and  also  one  from  Anna,  and  I  shall  expect  a 
letter  from  some  of  you  at  least  once  a  week  while  I  am  in  the 
city.  Tell  A.  I  will  order  the  Intelligencer  for  her.  My  love 
to  you  all. 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

S.  S.  PRENTISS 


TO   n  1 8    SISTEK    ABBT. 

% 

WASHINGTON  CITY,  Jan.  1, 1838, 

DEAR  ABBY  : — 

I  do  not  believe  that  I  have  written  to  yon  for  a 
very  long  period.  I  will,  therefore,  make  amends  by  commenc 
ing  a  new  year  and  a  letter  to  you  at  the  same  time.  And  first 
let  me  wish  you  all,  a  happy,  happy  new  year.  I  would  almost 
give  my  chance  for  a  seat  in  Congress  to  be  with  you  to-day. 
As  it  is,  I  am  all  alone, 'looking  into  books,  papers,  and  docu 
ments  of  all  sorts,  to  prepare  myself  for  a  speech  in  the  case  of 
"the  Mississippi  Election;"  but  every  moment  or  two  my 
thoughts  wander  away  to  Portland,  and  leave  the  rights  of  the 
people  of  the  State  of  Mississippi  to  take  care  of  themselves. 
But  I  am  with  you  in  fancy,  for  I  am  so  near  you  now,  that  im 
agination  has  little  difficulty  in  accomplishing  the  rest  of  the  way. 
I  wrote  to  George  the  day  after  I  arrived  here,  since  which  no 
thing  of  importance  has  occurred.  I  presented  my  credentials 
to  the  House  ;  they  were  referred  to  the  Committee  on  Elections, 
with  insti  actions  to  report  the  facts  of  the  case,  and  I  imagine 


246  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    PRENTIS3. 

that  in  the  course  of  a  week  the  committee  will  report.  There 
upon  a  discussion  of  a  week  or  two,  I  suppose,  will  follow,  in 
which  I  shall  participate,  and  at  the  end  of  that  period  a  fina^ 
decision  will  take  place.  I  am  at  present  strongly  inclined  to 
think  that  I  shall  succeed  in  obtaining  the  seat,  though  it  is  diffi 
cult  to  judge  as  to  the  result  of  the  case,  on  account  of  the  strong 
party-feeling  which  is  excited  in  relation  to  it.  I  feel  but  little 
interest  in  the  matter,  except  that  my  pride  is  somewhat  invol 
ved.  If  I  am  not  admitted,  I  shall  come  on  and  see  you  at  once. 
If  I  am  admitted,  I  shall  not  be  able  to  leave  until  the  end  of  the 
session.  You  must  all  write  me,  and  that  often,  and  I  shall  keep 
you  advised  of  everything  of  interest  which  occurs  to  me.  My 
love  to  all. 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

SEAEGENT. 


The  Lower  House  of  Congress  embraced,  at  this  time,  an 
unusually  fair  representation  of  the  political  talents  and 
intelligence  of  the  Nation.  The  names  of  a  portion  of  its 
members  yet  survive  ;  some  few  of  them  will  be  likely  to 
last  as  long  as  the  Republic  ;  but  the  greater  number 
already  are  buried  in  oblivion,  or  known  only  in  the  local 
circles  to  which  they  retired.  It  is  interesting  to  look  over 
an  old  Journal  of  Congress,  and  then  reflect  on  the  ephemeral 
character  of  popular  honors,  as  indicated  by  such  a  review; 
a  young  man,  tempted  to  barter  away  his  self-respect  and 
independence  of  opinion  in  exchange  for  some  transitory 
office,  could  hardly  be  put  to  a  more  salutary  task.  In  no 
other  way,  perhaps,  could  he  better  learn,  that  political 
fame  is  a  very  rare  attainment — the  fruit  of  great  abilities, 
combined  with  uncommon  toil,  patient  study,  experience 
and  favoring  circumstances — and  that,  therefore,  the  pur 
suit  of  it  by  ordinary  men  is  utterly  visionary.  Even 
the  most  brilliant  talents  for  public  affairs,  win  only  a 
passing  notoriety,  unless  backed  by  time,  fortune,  and  sub- 


LOWER  HOUSE  OF  CONGRESS  IN  1838.        247 

stantial  labor.  If  Henry  Clay,  Webster,  and  Calhoun,  had 
all  died  at  the  age  of  forty,  distinguished  as  they  even  then 
were,  how  small  a  figure  would  either  of  them  have  made 
in  the  history  of  this  country,  compared  with  the  colossal 
space  which  his  fame  will  now  occupy  ! 

Among  the  members  of  the  House  at  this  session,  were 
the  venerable  Ex-President  John  Quincy  Adams  ;  Millard 
Fillmore  ;  Thomas  Corwin,  of  Ohio  ;  James  K.  Polk  ; 
Messrs.  Bell  and  Hunter,  now  members  of  the  Senate  ; 
George  Evans,  of  Maine  ;  Levi  Lincoln  and  Caleb  Cushing, 
of  Mass.;  Ogden  Hoffman,  of  N.  Y  ;  Henry  A.  Wise,  of 
Virginia  ;  Legare,  of  South  Carolina  ;  Wm.  C.  Dawson,  of 
Ga.  ;  John  Sergeant,  of  Pa. :  and  others  distinguished  then, 
or  since,  in  public  life. 

The  interest  of  the  Mississippi  contested  election  was 
very  much  enhanced  by  the  precarious  and  nearly  balanced 
state  of  parties  in  the  House.  The  financial  policy  of  the 
Administration  had  loosened  the  confidence  of  many  of  its 
friends,  and  already  were  several  of  them  on  the  point  of 
deserting  it.  The  members  from  Mississippi,  chosen  at  the 
special  election,  were  not  of  this  number  ;  their  votes  were 
safely  to  be  relied  on  ;  upon  their  retaining  their  seats, 
therefore,  the  Executive  policy  was  quite  likely  to  depend. 
Some  of  the  weightiest  measures  ever  adopted  by  Congress, 
and  not  a  few  of  the  most  momentous  national  and  State 
elections,  have  turned,  as  is  well  known,  upon  the  suffrage 
of  one  or  two  men  ;  so  that  the  importance  of  a  single  vote 
has  passed  into  a  proverb. 

It  seems,  at  this  day,  almost  incredible,  that  there  should 
have  been  two  opinions  among  intelligent  men,  concerning 
the  claim  of  Messrs.  Word  and  Prentiss  to  seats  in  the 
House  of  Representatives,  on  presenting  their  credentials 
to  that  body.  Now  that  the  motives  and  passions  of  the 
hour  have  passed  away,  the  case  appears  plain  as  daylight; 


248  MEMOIR    CF    S.    S.    PRENTIS3. 

its  bare  statement  is  a  demonstration  of  the  right.     But  it 
is  no  easy  matter  to  see  even  daylight  against  the  compul 
sion,  or  blind  instinct  of  party  feeling  and  discipline.     Truth 
itself  looks  false  in  the  presence  of  such  influences.     Nor  is 
this  to  be  regarded  as  wholly  the  fault  of  individuals,  or  as  a 
peculiarity  of  any  one  party.     For  it  lies  in  the  very  nature 
of  parties,  whether  political  or  religious,  that  their  members 
should  be  more  or  less  their  unreasoning  instruments  ;  and 
that  the  spirit  and  interests  of  the  body  should  predominate 
over  all  other  considerations.     In  this  fact  consists  both  the 
good  and  evil  of  this  species  of  organization  ;  it  is  at  once 
the  ground  of  its  efficiency   and  of  its   debasing,   odious 
despotism^    One  party  may  be  constructed  upon  broader,  and 
more  beneficent  principles,  or  be  animated  by  greater  intel 
ligence  and  wisdom  than  another  ;  and  in  that  case,  it  will, 
of  course,  be  likely  to  contain  a  larger  number  of  men  whc 
think  and  judge  for  themselves  ;    but  in  itself  considered, 
the  spirit  of  party,  whether  in  Church  or  State,  is  always  and 
essentially  dictatorial,  intolerant  and  one-eyed  ;  only  minds 
of  the   highest  quality  are   able  to  rise  above,  or  to  see 
beyond  it.     To  expect  that  in  excited  times,  and  especially 
on  questions  involving  important  party  interests,  the  many 
will  act  from  the  impulses  of  that  magnanimity,  candor,  love 
of  truth  and  reverence  for  justice,  which  belong  only  to  the 
noble,  elect  few,  is  a  visionary  hope  ;  one  might  almost  as 
well  look  for  stones  soaring,  like  birds,  into  the  air. 

The  facts,  bearing  upon  the  Mississippi  contested  election, 
were  briefly  these  :  In  consequence  of  President  Van 
Buren's  proclamation,  calling  a  special  Session  of  Congress, 
Governor  Lynch,  of  Mississippi,  issued  a  writ,  command 
ing  the  sheriffs  to  hold  an  election  for  Representatives, 
to  fill  what  he  regarded  as  a  constitutional  "  vacancy," 
"  until  superseded  by  the  members  to  be  elected  at  the  next  regu- 
lar  election,  on  the  first  Monday  and  day  following,  in  NOVCM- 


MISSISSIPPI    CONTESTED    ELECTION.  249 

ber  next?  At  this  special  election,  which  occurred  in  July, 
Messrs.  Claiborne  and  Gholson  were  chosen  ;  and  received 
their  credentials  from  the  Governor  for  the  period  anterior 
to  the  November  election.  At  the  regular  election  in 
November,  Messrs.  Prentiss  and  Word,  as  we  have  seen, 
were  chosen  by  a  large  majority  to  supersede  Claiborne  and 
Gholson.  But,  in  the  mean  time,  these  latter  gentlemen 
had  been  declared  by  a  resolution  of  the  House,  to  be  duly 
elected  members  of  the  whole  twenty-fifth  Congress  ;  upon 
presenting  their  credentials*  to  the  House,  therefore, 
Messrs.  Prentiss  and  Word  found  their  seats  pre-occupied. 

The  question,  thus  arising,  led  to  an  elaborate  discussion 
of  more  than  two  weeks.  No  case  of  contested  election  ever 
before  had  created  such  universal  interest.  Indeed,  no 
similar  case  had  occurred  since  the  establishment  of  the 
Constitution.  The  excitement  in  Congress  was  vehement, 
and  it  was  felt  throughout  the  country.  This  was  owing  in 
no  small  degree,  as  has  been  said,  to  the  nicely-balanced 

*  The  following  is  a  copy  of  the  certificate  of  election  : 

THE  STATE  OF   MISSISSIPPI. 

Executive  Office. 

JACKSON,  Dec.  4,A.D.  1837. 

WHKREAS,  an  election  was  held  in  this  State  on  the  first  Monday,  and  the  day  fol 
lowing,  in  November,  A.  D.  183T,  according  to  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States, 
and  the  constitution  and  laws  of  Mississippi,  for  Representatives  of  the  United 
States  of  America  ;  and,  whereas,  it  appears  from  the  official  returns,  made  to  the 
office  of  the  Secretary  of  State,  that  Seargent  S.  Prentiss  and  Thomas  J.  Word 
received,  each,  a  majority  of  the  whole  number  of  votes  cast  for  Representatives  to 
Congress, 

Now,  therefore,  I,  Charles  Lynch,  Governor  of  the  State  of  Mississippi,  do  hereby 
certify  that  said  Seargent  S.  Prentiss  and  Thomas  J.  Word  are  duly,  and  according 
to  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  and  the  constitution  and  laws  of  the  Sta:e 
of  Mississippi,  elected  Representatives  in  Congress  from  the  State  of  Mississippi,  to 
lerve  for  the  25th  Congress  of  the  United  States  of  America.  In  testimony  where 
of,  I  have  caused  the  great  seal  of  the  State  to  be  herewith  affixed,  at  the  city  of 
Jackson,  the  Capital  of  said  State,  this  4th  day  of  December,  A.  D.  1837. 

CHARLES  LYVCH. 
By  the  Governor : 

BABRY  W.  BURR,  Secretary  of  State. 
11* 


•250 


MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 


state  of  parties  in  the  House,  and  also  to  the  vital  impoit 
ance  of  the  principles  involved  ;  but  it  was,  in  the  end,  still 
more  owing  to  the  masterly  ability  and  eloquence  of  the 
youthful  claimant. 

Very  few  of  his  auditors  had  ever  heard  or  seen  him, 
while  to  most  of  them  his  very  name  was,  until  a  short  time 
before,  entirely  unknown.     Vague  reports,  however,  of  his 
remarkable  character  had  preceded  him  to  Washington  City, 
and  his  Mississippi  friends,  who  chanced  to  be  at  the  Capi 
tal,  were  not  backward  to  make  their  boast  of  him.     In 
deed,  nobody,  who  had  once  heard  him  at  the  bar  or  on  the 
stump,  seemed  to  feel  the  slightest  doubt  of  his  triumph. 
This,  of  course,  only  increased  the  difficulty  and  responsi 
bility  of  his  position.     "  I  am  much  gratified,"  writes  Ex- 
Governor  Quitman  to  him,  January  It,  "  to  learn  from  your 
letter  of  the  first  instant  that  the  State  has  fair  prospects 
of  being  represented  by  the  men  of  her  choice  and  not  by 
counterfeits.     I  have  never  doubted  that  you  would  succeed 
in  obtaining  your  seat.     I  could  not   doubt  it.     Congress 
dare  not  refuse  our  claim  to  representation.    You  have  taken 
precisely  the  proper  course.     Insist  upon  it.     Never  give  it 
up.     We  await  with  great  anxiety  further  information  on 
this  vital  question.     I  long  to  see  you  on  the  floor.     I  wish, 
sincerely  wish,  that  I  were  with  you.      *     *      Your  many 
friends  here  are  looking  with  very  great  interest  upon  your 
movements.     Much  is  expected  from  you.     If  you  have  am 
bition  for  distinction,  you  will  not  be  sorry  to  find  yourself 
and  colleague,  from  a  combination  of  circumstances,  placed 
in  a  most  conspicuous  position  before  the  whole  Union.     I 
have  no  fears  for  you.      I  have  confidence  not  only  in  your 
talents,  but  in  your  discretion  and  tact.';     So  far  as  ccn- 
erned  the  defence  of  his  claim,  these  friendly  anticipations 
were  not  disappointed.     The  delight  and  admiration,  called 
forth  by  his  opening  speech,  knew  no  bounds.     On  the  daj 


SPEECH    OX    CLAIMING    HIS    SEAT.  251 

set  apart  for  him  to  address  the  House,  nearly  all  the  mem 
bers  were  in  their  seats,  the  galleries  were  crowded,  and 
every  eye  and  ear  were  fixed  in  eager  expectation.  His 
first  sentence  riveted  the  attention  of  the  whole  audience, 
and  each  succeeding  sentence  increased  the  surprise  and 
pleasure  awakened  by  the  first.  Some,  anticipating  an  out 
burst  of  fervid  but  unpolished  declamation,  were  charmed  to 
find  themselves  listening  to  an  orator,  whose  logic  was  as 
accurate  and  subtle  as  that  of  a  schoolman,  while  the  fairest 
gems  of  literary  culture  adorned  his  rhetoric.  Others,  ex 
pecting  a  violent  partisan  harangue,  were  no  less  astonished  to 
find  themselves  in  the  presence  of  a  statesman  and  jurist,  dis 
cussing,  with  patriotic  zeal,  a  great  principle  of  constitutional 
law.  He  had  not  spoken  long  ere  the  fact  was  noised  through 
the  other  wing  of  the  Capitol,  and  soon  one  after  another 
of  the  grave  Senators  was  seen  gliding  into  the  House. 

Before  he  had  concluded  his  argument,  which  lasted  into 
tfie  third  day,  the  anxiety  to  hear  him  became  intense.  The 
galleries  were  crowded  to  suffocation,  chiefly  by  ladies  ;  the 
lobbies  and  every  vacant  spot  on  the  floor  of  the  Hall  were 
thronged  by  Senators,  ex-members  of  Congress,  officers  of 
the  Army  and  Navy,  members  of  State  Legislatures  on  a 
visit  to  the  Capital,  eminent  Jurists  and  Judges,  distin 
guished  private  citizens,  and  Foreign  Ministers.  At  one 
time,  as  your  eye  glanced  around  and  surveyed  the  scene,  it 
was  arrested,  at  every  turn,  by  the  presence  of  some  illustri 
ous  man.  Directly  in  front  of  the  chair,  sat  John  Quincy 
Adams,  the  Nestor  of  the  House  ;  just  outside  the  bar  (on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  Hall),  his  tall  figure  towering  above 
its  fellows,  stood  Henry  Clay,  generalissimo  of  the  Whig 
forces,  watching  with  delight  his  young  friend's  manful 
defence  ;  near  him  were  Judge  White,  of  Tennessee,  a 
white-haired  patriarch  of  his  party  ;  Preston,  the  eloquent 
Southern  Senator,  and  Crittenden,  the  no  less  eloquent  Ken* 


252  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

tuckian  ;  close  by  rose  the  massive  form  of  Daniel  Webster. 
whose  countenance,  grave,  unmoved,  and  almost  sombre  in 
its  aspect,  betokened  the  most  profound  attention.     It  was, 
indeed,  a  splendid  assembly,  illumined  by  a  galaxy  of  genius, 
worth,  statesmanship,  beauty  and  station  such  as  meet  to 
gether  but  rarely  in  a  generation — such  as  Edmund  Burke, 
Charles  Fox,  or  George  Canning  might  have  felt  honored  in 
addressing.     A  breathless  silence  reigned  from  beginning  to 
end,  except  as  some  fine  passage  ever  and  anon  occasioned 
suppressed  applause  from  the  galleries.     The  speaker  him 
self  was  evidently  surprised  to  observe  the  magical  power  he 
was  wielding.*     He  had  never  before  addressed  such   an 
audience  ;  and  when  he  witnessed  the  rapt  attention  and 
caught   in   their   look    the   mystic    signs    of    delight    and 
approval  from  such  veteran  statesmen  and  orators  as  John 
Quincy  Adams,  Clay  and  Webster — men,  whose  names  and 
noble  eloquence  had  been  the  inspiration  of  his  boyhood- 
no  wonder  if  he  was  greatly  excited  and  somewhat  aston 
ished  at  himself.     Still  both  the  excitement  and  surprise  were 
chiefly  those  of  unusual  pleasure— the  pure  gaudia  certa- 
minis.     His  entire  self-possession  never  failed  him  for  an  in 
stant  ;  there  was  no  straining  for  effect,  no  trick  of  oratory  ; 
but  from  the  first  to  the  last  sentence,  everything,  in  manner 
as  in  matter,  seemed  perfectly  natural,  as  if  he  were  address 
ing  a  jury  on  an  ordinary  question   of  law.     Indeed,  the 
great  charm  of  this,  as  of  all  his  speeches,  was  the  simple, 
unfeigned  sincerity  which  marked  his  whole    bearing   and 
every  word  he  uttered.     He  felt  that  he  was  asserting  a 
great  principle,  and,  in  his  devotion  to  that,  seemed  to  for. 
get  all  personal  claim. 


*  After  we  hai  been  at  Washington  some  time,  Mr.  PRENTISS  expressed  to  me 
bis  fears  lest  he  should  not  be  able  to  sustain  himself.  But  when  the  trial  came,  he 
excelled  himself.  Nobody  had  formed  any  correct  idea  of  his  transcendent  power*. 
I  do  not  believe  he  was  conscious  of  them  himself.— Letter  from  Mr.  Word. 


SPEECH  ON  CLAIMING  HIS  SEAT.  353 

His  peroration  was  short,  but  it  thrilled  the  immense 
assemblage  like  an  electric  touch.  Much  of  its  force  wa? 
owing  to  the  tones  of  his  voice,  the  glow  of  his  eye  and 
countenance,  his  peculiarly  earnest  manner,  and  the  high 
wrought  feelings  of  his  hearers-;  but  no  one  can  read  it  even 
now,  without  admiring  its  skill  and  beauty. 

The  moment  he  had  finished,  his  friends  flocked  around 
him  with  their  enthusiastic  congratulations,  in  which  they 
were  joined  by  not  a  few  of  his  political  opponents. 

As  Mr.  Webster  left  the  Hall,  he  remarked  to  a  friend, 
with  comprehensive  brevity  :  "  Nobody  could  equal  it  1" 
And  this  may  suffice  as  a  sample  of  the  innumerable  compli 
ments  elicited  by  his  speech.  It  is  still  remembered  with 
wonder  by  all  who  heard  it.  Few  members  of  the  House 
were  less  likely  to  be  misled  by  false  oratory  than  Ex-Presi 
dent  Fillmore.  In  a  letter,  dated  Buffalo,  Nov.  28,  1853, 
he  writes :  "  I  can  never  forget  that  speech.  It  was,  cer 
tainly,  the  most  brilliant  that  I  ever  heard,  and,  as  a  whole, 
I  think  it  fully  equalled,  if  it  did  not  exceed,  any  rhetorical 
effort  to  which  it  has  been  my  good  fortune  to  listen  in 
either  House  of  Congress.  It  elevated  him  at  once  to  the 
first  rank  of  Congressional  orators,  and  stamped  his  short 
but  brilliant  parliamentary  career  with  the  impression  of  un 
doubted  genius,  and  the  highest  oratorical  powers.  I  have 
never  read  the  published  speech,  but  I  apprehend  it  is  not 
possible  that  it-  should  convey  to  the  reader  any  adequate 
idea  of  the  effect  produced  by  its  delivery." 

The  feeling  among  his  friends  in  Mississippi,  upon  hearing 
of  his  opening  speech,  is  shown  by  the  following  extract 
from  a  letter  of  Judge  George  Winchester,  of  Natchez,  a 
man  unusually  venerated  for  his  many  virtues,  and  who 
regarded  Mr.  PRENTISS  with  an  almost  paternal  affection. 
He  writes,  under  date  of  JACKSON,  January  29,  1838  :  — 
.*'  The  news  that  you  had  delighted  a  crowded  auditory  with 


254  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

the  commencement  of  a  speech,  transported  me.  Aftef 
hearing  you,  I  am  sure,  a  majority  of  the  House  cov.ld  not 
decide  against  you.  You  will  have  obtained  your  seat 
before  this  reaches  you.  I  do  not  doubt  the  result.  You 
were  admitted  at  once  as  soon  as  you  had  finished  the  dis 
cussion.  I  would  have  travelled  to  Washington,  if  business 
would  have  permitted,  for  the  bare  pleasure  of  hearing  your 
speech  and  witnessing  its  triumph.  Yet  here  I  feel  a  glow 
of  triumph  ;  it  runs  warm  through  my  veins,  and  animates 
and  enlivens  me  like  a  shout  of  victory — like  Homer's 
description  of  the  eloquence  of  a  Nestor  or  Ulysses,  or  as 
reading  the  most  vivid  passages  in  Shakespeare.  Our 
courts  are  in  session,  and  I  am  surrounded  with  persons 
talking  to  me  in  my  room.  If  my  letter  is  full  of  blunders, 
I  have  no  time  to  correct  them.  The  Chancellor  tells  me 
to  send  his  respects,  and  says  there  is  no  man  whose  success 
pleases  him  more.  God  bless  you." 

The  printed  speech  is  little  more  than  a  skeleton.  Even 
the  few  rhetorical  passages,  that  are  retained,  have  lost 
much  of  their  original  form  and  beauty.  The  professional 
stenographers  confessed  themselves  utterly  baffled  in  the 
attempt  to  report  him  ;  and  he  was  quite  as  unfitted  to  re 
port  himself.  Indeed,  he  complained  that  he  never  could 
reproduce  the  best  thoughts,  still  less  the  exact  language, 
of  his  speeches.  Impatient  and  little  practised  in  the  use 
of  the  pen,  he  spoke  not  only  with  more  power,  but  in  bet 
ter  style  than  he  wrote. 

The  following  letter  gives  his  own  brief  account  of  the 
speech  : — 

WASHINGTON  CITY,  Jan.  20,  1838. 
DEAK  GEOKGE  :— 

The  "  Mississippi  Election"  is  at  length  upon  the 
aarpet.  You  have,  probably,  already  learned  by  the  newspapers 
that  I  have,  in  parliamentary  phrase,  been  for  trree  days  oil  my 


H.    S.    LEGARE.  255 

jpgg ;  in  other  word?,  I  have  made  a  three  days'  speech,  and  I 
have  no  doubt  have  convinced  the  House  that  I  ought  to  be  ad 
mitted.  At  any  rate,  as  I  tell  them,  whether  they  let  me  in  or 
not,  I  have  got  my  share  of  the  session  ;  for  if  they  divide  it  out, 
it  will  hardly  afford  three  days  apiece.  I  suppose  you  will  won 
der  what  I  could  talk  about  so  long.  That's  more  than  I  can 
tell  you ;  though  I  have  no  doubt  it  was  a  sensible  speech,  from 
the  fact  that  I  had  an  attentive  house  and  crowded  galleries, 
from  the  latter  of  which  I  several  times  received  very  audible 
signs  of  approbation.  Could  I  have  put  it  to  vote  in  the  galle 
ries,  especially  among  the  ladies,  1  should  have  been  admitted  at 
once.  But  in  good  earnest,  I  feel  highly  gratified  and  flattered 
by  what,  I  am  told,  was  an  unusual  attention  and  interest  on  the 
part  of  the  House.  Many  of  the  most  distinguished  senators  lion 
ored  me  with  their  presence,  such  as  Webster,  Clay,  Preston,  &c., 
so  that  I  wanted  but  one  thing  to  have  made  me  very  happy,  and 
that  was,  that  you  should  all  have  been  present.  I  have  dined 
with  all  the  above-named  gentlemen,  since  I  have  been  here, 
yesterday  with  Mr.  Webster  and  family,  and  have  full  as  much 
attention  as  is  agreeable  to  my  modesty.  I  am  more  than  ever 
of  opinion  that  I  shall  obtain  my  seat,  though  it  will  be  a  very 
close  vote,  and  I  may  be  mistaken,  I  will  not  say  disappointed. 
In  the  course  of  two  or  three  weeks,  as  soon  as  the  matter  is 
decided,  I  will  draw  up  the  heads  or  substance  of  my  speech  and 
have  it  published,  though  I  shall  not  be  able  to  do  myself  justice 
in  writing  it  off.  My  love  to  you  all. 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

SEAEGJSNT. 


More  than  a  week  was  consumed  by  members  of  the  Ad 
ministration  party  in  asserting  the  claims  of  Messrs.  Clai- 
borne  and  Gholson,  and  answering  the  argument  of  Mr. 
Prentiss.  The  last  speaker  on  that  side  was  the  accomp 
lished  Legare,  of  South  Carolina  ;  a  gentleman  who  surpas 
sed  nearly  all  the  public  men  of  his  time  in  the  depth,  accu 
racy  and  extent  of  his  classical  attainments.  The  articles 


256 


MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRE'NTISS. 


on  Demosthenes,  the  Athenian  Democracy,  and  kindred 
topics,  contributed  by  him  to  the  New  York  Review,  show  an 
acquaintance  with  ancient  literature  and  politics,  which 
would  do  credit  to  a  German  Gdehrter  ;  few  things  equal 
to  them  have  ever  been  written  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic. 
His  early  death  was  an  irreparable  loss  to  the  cause  of  good 
learning,  civil  jurisprudence  and  cultivated  statesmanship  in 
the  United  States. 

On  the  present  occasion  a  crowded  house  assembled  to 
hear  him  ;  but  his  speech  was  not  considered  equal  to  his 
reputation.  His  biographer  himself  intimates  that  "  bril 
liant  as  was  the  figure  which  he  made  throughout  that  Con 
gress  on  all  other  questions  in  which  he  took  part,"  his 
effort  in  the  Mississippi  Contested  Election  was  a  failure, 
and  that  in  this  instance  "  he  certainly  got  upon  the  wron°- 
side."* 

On  the  31st  of  January,  Mr.  Prentiss  took  the  floor  in 
reply.  This  second  speech,  while  hardly  behind  the  first  in 
logical  power  and  happy  illustration,  perhaps  in  some  re 
spects  even  surpassed  it.  The  various  arguments,  which, 
for  seven  or  eight  days  in  succession,  had  been  repeated  by 
one  speaker  after  another  against  the  claims  of  Word  and 
himself,  aroused  his  feelings  to  the  highest  pitch.  They 
seemed  to  indicate  a  foregone  conclusion  that  the  question 
was  to  be  decided  on  the  ground  of  party  and  not  of  justice. 
Their  weakness,  too,  as  well  as  the  dull,  tedious  manner  in 
which  some  of  them  had  been  presented,  afforded  him  a  good 
chance  for  exercising  his  unrivalled  powers  of  wit  and  ridi 
cule.  Nothing  called  out  the  whole  of  his  intellectual  forces 
like  strong  opposition  ;  and  he  never  used  them  with  greater 
skill  or  effect  than  at  a  retort.  He  was  especially  gratified 
in  having  such  an  antagonist  as  Legare,  and  no  doubt  the 

*  Writing*  of  Let  are,  vol.  i.,  p.  65. 


MISSISSIPPI    CONTESTED    ELECTION.  257 

unbounded  applause  now  echoing  though  the  country  in  re 
sponse  to  his  first  speech,  helped  to  gird  him  for  the  second. 
The  House  was,  if  possible,  still  more  crowded  than  on  the 
18th  and  19th  of  January.  A  queenly  array  of  grace  and 
beauty  filled  the  galleries,  while  the  lobbies,  as  before,  were 
thronged  by  senators  and  distinguished  visitors. 

Scarcely  a  written  vestige  of  this  speech  is  preserved. 
At  its  close,  a  vote  was  taken  on  the  right  of  Messrs.  Clai- 
borne  and  Gholson  to  their  seats,  and  decided  against  them 
by  a  majority  of  seven.  The  course  of  things  up  to  this 
point  and  until  the  final  vote,  is  thus  described  in  notes  of 
an  address,  delivered  by  Mr.  Prentiss  at  Natchez,  shortly 
after  his  return  to  Mississippi  : — 


The  question  was  referred  to  a  committee  ;  Messrs.  Claiborne 
and  Gholson  on  the  one  side,  and  Mr.  Word  and  myself  on  the 
other,  each  contending  that  his  was  the  Simon  Pure  representa 
tion.  The  committee  were  puzzled  ;  they  thought  we  resembled 
the  two  Dromios  so  much  that  a  decision  was  impossible.  When 
the  question  came  before  the  House,  several  able  members  main 
tained  a  vigorous  and  eloquent  defence  of  the  July  election,  and 
called  forth  all  their  powers  to  show  that  the  people  of  Missis 
sippi  were  wrong  in  choosing  members,  according  to  their  consti 
tution  and  laws,  in  November  ;  whilst  another  class,  composed  of 
many  judicious  and  eminent  politicians,  argued  a  contrary  opinion. 
The  first  question  was  taken  on  the  title  of  Messrs.  Olaiborne  and 
Gholson;  and  during  the  arduous  discussion  of  that  question,  in 
which  party  ingenuity  appeared  to  be  exhausted,  nothing  else 
was  expected  to  follow  a  decision  against  those  gentlemen  than 
that  the  title  of  my  colleague  and  myself  would  instantly  be 
admitted.  It  was  certainly  not  dreamt  of  that  they  who,  in 
their  solicitude  for  Mississippi  representation  on  the  floor  of 
the  House,  contended  so  violently  for  the  validity  of  the 
July  election,  would  afterwards  turn  round  and  contend,  with 
equal  violence,  that  Mississippi's  legal  representatives  should  be 


258  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    FRENTISS. 

sent  back!  It  was  amusing  to  view  the  contrast  in  their  doo« 
trines.  At  first  they  were  as  narrow  as  the  bridge  that  led  to 
the  Mahometan  Paradise — but  anon  expanded  to  a  breadth 
greater  than  the  Way  to  Death.  Their  principles  were  like  the 
tent  in  the  Arabian  Nights1  Entertainments,  which  at  times 
was  so  small  that  you  could  hold  it  in  the  palm  of  your  hand  ; 
while,  to  suit  convenience,  it  could  be  so  enlarged  as  to  cover  a 
whole  field  and  serve  as  an  encampment  for  large  armies. 

A  vote  was  at  length  taken  on  the  question  of  the  July  elec 
tion,  and  119  members  declared  their  opinion  that  it  was  null, 
illegal  and  unconstitutional,  whilst  112  solemnly  declared  that  it 
was  valid  and  constitutional.  This  was  the  rescinding  vote. 

On  the  determination  of  this  point,  a  general  satisfaction  was 
visible  on  the  countenances  of  those  in  the  House.  All  were  in 
waiting,  now  that  the  difficulty  seemed  to  be  removed,  to  hear 
the  November  election  sustained,  and  Mr.  Word  and  myself 
sworn  to  our  seats.  To  the  astonishment  of  all,  however,  up 
starts  a  gentleman  from  Maryland,  in  a  state  of  feverish  excite 
ment,  and,  to  the  great  and  unsurpassed  amusement  of  the 
House,  with  a  voice  which  sounded  to  the  ear  like  the  very 
essence  of  pathos — begged  the  House  to  pause!  And  for 
what  ?  Why,  to  find  out  that,  as  two  men  of  the  same  political 
views  as  his  had  claimed  seats  as  Representatives  from  Missis 
sippi  against  the  will  of  the  People,  but  could  not  retain  them— 
therefore  that  Sovereign  State  was  entitled  to  no  representa 
tion  at  all,  and  her  Constitutional  Representatives  must  be 
sent  home  also.  It  was  impossible  to  refrain  from  a  smile 
at  that  gentleman's  (Mr.  Howard's)  apparent  feelings  on  this 
occasion.  He  spoke  as  if  some  dire  misfortune  was  about  to 
Befall  the  Capitol.  A  discussion  ensued,  the  result  of  which 
-vas,  that  the  gentleman's  pathetic  appeal  was  supported,  and 
your  constitutional  claims  again  postponed. 

Need  I  picture  to  you  my  burning  indignation  at  this  result? 
From  that  moment  I  continued  with  unabated  zeal  to  press  a 
decision;  day  after  day  and  night  after  night  I  watched  with 
sleepless  vigilance  the  proceedings  of  the  House;  and  although  I 
could  discover  manceuverings  going  on  in  certain  quarters,  which 


THE    FINAL    VOTE  259 

boded  no  good  to  your  cause,  still  I  could  not  find  a  reason  why 
your  right  of  representation  was  trifled  with.  At  length,  how 
ever,  one  night  which  I  shall  long  remember,  those  members  who 
were  adverse  to  you,  gave  notice  that  they  were  prepared  for  a 
decision.  Now  was  unravelled  the  mystery  of  their  delays,  and 
there  might  be  seen  carried  into  the  Representative  Hall,  men, 
whose  sickness  had  prevented  them  from  leaving  their  rooms,  or 
attending  to  the  business  of  the  House  for  six  weeks  before  ; 
others  who  appeared  fitter  for  their  coffins  than  their  seats,  arid 
in  sucli  a  ghasly  state  that  one  might  well  look  around  him  to 
find  where  their  graves  had  been  dug.  It  was,  indeed,  hard  to 
tell  to  which  world  they  belonged. 

It  may  be  well  here  to  remark,  that  the  question  was  not  now 
whether  A.  or  13.  had  a  right  to  seats,  but  whether  the  State  of 
Mississippi  was  entitled  to  representation.  The  difficulty  inter 
posed  by  the  presence  of  Messrs.  Claiborne  and  Gholson  had  been 
removed.  There  was  left,  then,  not  a  shadow  of  a  pretence  for 
members  to  travel  beyond  the  true  question — Is  Mississippi  a 
member  of  this  Confederacy  or  not  ? 

The  vote  was  taken — it  was  a  tie — and  a  certain  gentleman 
who  occupied  the  Speaker's  chair,  issued  his  soft  veto  on  your 
claims.  As  deeply  interested  as  I  felt  in  the  question  just 
decided,  as  vital  as  it  was  to  the  rights  and  honor  of  the  State 
for  whose  claims  I  had  been  battling — for  a  few  moments  I  could 
not  avoid  philosophizing  on  what 

"  Great  effects  from  little  causes  flow  !" 

We  are  told  that  in  ancient  times  great  events  were  attended 
by  preternatural  phenomena :  earthquakes  shook  the  world  to 
its  foundation,  and  the  thunder's  awful  roar  warned  mortals  that 
some  momentous  occurrence  was  approaching;  and  I  could 
scarcely  credit  my  senses  when  I  heard  the  most  sacred  rights  of 
this  Union  wrenched  from  the  State  of  Mississippi  by  the  still 
small  voice,  like  that  of  some  delicate  woman,  of  Mr.  Speaker 
Polk.  This  voice  of  usurpation  was  in  tones  so  weak  that, 
inclining  my  ear  towards  where  he  sat,  I  could  scarcely  hear  itsr 
attenuated  sound.  I  confess  I  looked  upon  the  matter  as  some- 


260  MEMOIR    OF    S.     S.^PREXTISS. 

thing  curious.     For  a  while  I  pondered  on  the  whole  transact!  )ii, 
and  was  lost  to  a  sense  of  its  importance. 

Thus,  then,  was  the  sacred  right  of  Representation,  for  which 
our  fathers  fought  and  bled,  denied  to  one  of  the  Sovereign  Statei 
of  this  Union,  and  that  in  the  face  of  two  classes  of  votes,  given 
in  the  same  assembly,  which  contended  that  such  right  was  hers. 
For,  as  I  have  said,  112  members  decided  that  she  was  entitled 
to  be  represented  by  her  July  delegation,  while  117  other  mem 
bers  afterwards  supported  her  constitutional  election  in  Novem 
ber.  Here  we  find  229  members  solemnly  deciding  that  you  had 
a  constitutional  representation,  leaving  five  or  six  of  all  parties 
denying  that  you  had  a  constitutional  representation  ;  and  yet, 
by  a  curious  combination,  the  Journal  of  the  House  shows  a 
subsequent  vote,  which  denies  any  representation  !* 

The  following  reminiscence  by  Mr.  Word,  will  recall  to 
many  readers  the  charge  of  grossly  insulting  the  Speaker  of 
the  House,  so  industriously  circulated  at  the  time  against 
Mr.  Clay  :— 

*  For  several  hours  the  Hall  was  a  perfect  Bedlam.  Between  three  and  four  o'clock 
a  call  of  the  House  began,  which  drew  up  recruits  from  all  quarters.  Of  240  mem 
bers,  236  were  in  the  city.  Horses  and  carriages,  officers  and  messengers  were  sent 
in  every  direction  to  bring  in  the  missing.  A  member  from  Vermont  appeared  off  a 
sick  bed,  looking  like  the  ghost  of  Hamlet's  father  ;  another,  from  Kentucky,  pro 
hibited  by  his  physician  from  leaving  his  room,  was  led  in  by  two  of  his  brethren, 
looking  as  if  he  had  deserted  the  tomb — pale,  dejected,  with  no  power  to  sup 
port  his  own  weight  or  lift  his  hand  to  his  head  ;  another  Western  member,  his  face 
woe-begone,  seemed  to  be  in  his  grave-clothes.  At  length,  after  hideous  cries  of 
"question,"  "question,"  "order,"  "order,"  Mr.  Howard's  resolution  came  up  : 
"  Resolved,  That  S.  S.  Prentiss  and  Thomas  J.  Word  are  not  entitled  to  seats  in  the 
twenty-fifth  Congress."  The  question  came  up  upon  the  adoption  of  the  resolu 
tion  ;  clouds  rested  upon  the  result;  breathless  silence  reigned  throughout  the  Hall: 
not  a  voice,  scarce  a  whisper,  was  heard  through  the  immense  crowd,  filling  every 
nook  and  corner.  At  length  the  result  was  announced— 117  to  117.  There  was  a 
moment's  pause,  and  the  Speaker  said,  "  The  Chair  votes  in  the  affirmative;  THH 
RESOLUTION  is  ADOPTED  !"  Thus  was  the  long  agony  of  three  weeks  ended.  Mr. 
Wise  instantly  rose  and  poured  forth  an  indignant  rebuke.  Mr.  PRENTFSS  followed, 
and,  in  a  speech  of  five  minutes,  denounced  the  decision  of  the  House  as  an  act  of 
palpable  and  gross  "  legislative  usurpation" — declaring  it  to  be  the  first  of  its  kind 
on  the  records  of  Congress. 

Correspondence  from  Washington,  Feb.  6, 1838, 


MISSISSIPPI    CONTESTED    ELECTION.  261 

I  well  recollect  an  incident  which,  occurred  immediately  after 
the  final  vote  was  taken,  and  which  soon  gained  great  notoriety 
in  a  very  distorted  form.  Almost  all  the  members  of  the  House 
were  present,  and  we  were  rejected,  as  you  know,  by  the  casting 
vote  of  the  Speaker,  Mr.  Polk.  The  Speaker's  chair  was  on  the 
north  side  of  the  Representative  Hall,  and  Mr.  Clay,  Mr.  Pres 
ton,  and  other  Senators,  were  in  the  lobby  on  the  south  side. 
While  the  vote  was  going  on,  I  had  taken  a  seat  near  the  chair, 
and,  keeping  tally,  ascertained  that  it  was  a  tie.  The  clerk 
handed  the  vote  to  the  Speaker,  and  was  directed  by  him,  in  an 
under  tone,  to  cast  it  up  again.  While  this  was  being  done,  I 
walked  across  the  House  to  Mr.  PKENTISS,  who  was  standing 
within  the  bar,  conversing  with  Mr.  Clay,  who  was  just  outside 
the  bar.  The  relative  positions  which  they  occupied,  placed  Mr. 
PKENTISS  directly  between  Mr.  Clay  and  the  Speaker.  I  showed 
Mr.  P.  the  vote,  and  remarked  that  it  was  a  tie.  This  called  the 
attention  of  the  group  to  the  fact,  and  instantly  all  eyes  were 
turned  to  the  Speaker.  You  will  recollect  that  this  was  in  1838, 
long  before  Mr.  Clay  had  attached  himself  to  the  Church.  You 
will  also  remember  that  the  greatest  familiarity,  as  well  as  the 
greatest  friendship,  existed  between  him  and  Mr.  P.  Keeping 
these  things  in  mind,  you  will  readily  perceive  how  completely 
the  incident  was  distorted,  and  how  wholly  misapplied  was  the 
language  of  Mr.  Clay.  When  the  clerk  had  run  over  the  vote 
again,  he  handed  it  to  the  Speaker,  who  stated  it  to  be  a  tie,  and 
then  himself  voted  to  vacate  the  seats.  Upon  this  announce 
ment,  Mr.  Clay,  playfully  pointing  at  Mr.  PEENTISS  and  address 
ing  him,  said :  "  Now  go  home,  d — n  you,  where  you  ought  to 
be!"  All  joined  in  a  hearty  laugh,  and  so  the  matter  passed 
out  of  mind.  But  before  we  got  home,  the  language  of  Mr.  Clay 
was  applied  by  some  of  the  letter  writers  and  newspapers  as 
addressed  to  Mr.  Polk,  and  that  in  the  most  profane,  exaggerated 
form.  You  know  what  scandalous  use  was  afterwards  made  of 
the  charge.*  How  Mr.  Clay's  remark  could  have  been  addressed 
or  applied  to  the  Speaker,  no  sensible  man  could  comprehend. 


,  *  See  e.  g.,  editorials  of  The  Qlobe,  the  then  official  organ,   for  February  10, 
*nd  June  2, 1839—  ED. 


262  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISR. 

I  have  always  supposed  that  the  per-on  who  gave  publicity  to 
the  incident,  must  have  been  misled  by  not  observing  the  relative 
position  of  the  parties;  Mr.  PKESTISS  standing,  as  I  have  said, 
between  Mr.  Clay  and  the  Chair,  Mr.  (J.  pointing  at  Mr.  P. 
might  seem  to  point  to  the  Speaker.  The  publisher  of  this  oc 
currence  may  have  been  unaware,  too,  of  the  close  intimacy  and 
familiarity  which  existed  between  Mr.  PKENTISS  and  the  illustri 
ous  Kentuckian.  But  be  this  as  it  may,  the  facts  were  as  above 
stated,  and  I  am  happy  to  give  them  to  you,  that  justice  may  be 
done  to  the  memory  of  these  two  great  and  good  men. 

A  day  or  two  after  they  were  rejected,  the  House  passed 
a  Resolution,  directing  the  clerk  to  pay  Messrs.  Word  and 
Frentiss  the  usual  mileage  and  per  diem,  while  they  were  con 
testing  their  seats,  amounting  in  all  to  nearly  $2,000  apiece.' 
But  they  disdained  to  touch  it. 

The  result  of  the  Mississippi  Contested  Election  only 
served  to  increase  the  public  interest  in  Mr.  Preiitiss.  His 
manly  bearing  throughout  the  struggle,  and  the  fearless 
spirit,  as  well  as  the  eloquence,  with  which  he  had  defied  the 
whole  force  of  the  administration,  secured  for  him  the  re 
spect  and  even  admiration  of  his  more  generous  opponents  ; 
none  expressed  for  him  those  sentiments  more  cordially  than 
Mr.  Legare  ;  while  the  pride  and  high  hopes  which  his 
course  excited  in  his  own  party,  were  only  equalled  by  their 
disappointment  at  his  defeat,  and  the  fear  that  he  would 
not  come  back.  On  the  eve  of  his  departure  for  Mis 
sissippi,  he  received  a  very  striking  proof  of  the  regard  felt 
for  him  by  the  most  distinguished  members  of  his  party,  in 
the  tender  of  a  public  dinner.  A  noticeable  incident  of  this 
occasion,  was  a  Union  speech  by  Mr.  Webster,  made  late  in 
the  night,  which  the  guest,  speaking  of  it  several  years  after 
wards,  declared  to  have  been  the  most  wonderful  outburst 
of  eloquence  thit  he  ever  heard.  He  described  it  as  marked 


LETTER    HOME.  2C3 

by  all  Mr.  Webster's  simple  majesty,  perspicuity  and 
strength  of  thought,  but  with  the  addition  of  an  impassioned 
fervor  and  inspiration  of  feeling,  such  as  no  one  present  had 
ever  before  witnessed  in  him. 

The  following  letter  to  his  elder  sister,  will  fitly  close  this 
chapter  : 


WASHINGTON  CITY,  Feb.  14,  1S38. 
DEAR  ABET  : — 

I  informed  you  in  my  last,  of  the  result  of  my 
business  here,  which  I  presume  you  have  also  learned  from  the 
papers.  Though  not  quite  as  successful  as  I  expected,  yet  on 
the  whole.  I  believe  I  have,  personally,  no  cause  to  complain. 
I  am  perfectly  satisfied  with  what  I  have  seen  of  political  life, 
and  without  having  my  opinion  of  myself  in  any  degree  raised, 
I  can  truly  say  that  my  estimation  of  others  is  sadly  diminished. 
I  had  no  idea  of  the  want  of  principle  as  well  as  the  want  of 
sense  which  characterizes  a  large  portion  of  the  political  men 
of  the  nation.  For  my  own  part,  I  am  heartily  sick  of  the 
whole  matter,  and  shall  feel  greatly  obliged  to  the  people  of 
Mississippi,  if  they  will  allow  me  to  retire.  I  think,  however, 
that  they  will  send  me  back  here,  and  if  they  wish  to  do  so,  I 
feel  bound  to  submit  to  their  wishes.  I  had  the  honor  of  a  very 
high  and  gratfying  compliment  on  Saturday  last.  It  was  a 
public  dinner  given  to  myself  and  my  colleague,  by  the  Whig 
members  of  both  Houses  of  Congress.  There  were  about 
seventy  or  eighty  present,  among  whom,  were  Messrs.  Clay, 
Webster,  Crittenden,  Southard,  Judge  White,  Evans,  Bell,  Wise, 
&c.,  &c.  Indeed,  it  is  said  to  have  been  the  most  talented 
selection  of  gentlemen  that  had  ever  assembled  here  at  the  con 
vivial  table.  Many  speeches  were  made,  and  the  whole  affair 
passed  off  very  finely.  I  need  not  tell  you  that  I  was  much 
gratified  by  the  attention  and  personal  regard  of  such  men ; 
though,  generally  speaking,  I  am  not  .ambitious  about  such  mat 
ters,  and,  indeed,  most  of  the  gratification  I  experienced,  arose 
from  the  reflection  that  it  would  afford,  perhaps,  some  pleasure 
to  my  mother  and  sisters.  I  have  just  got  a  portion  of  my  first 


264  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PREXTISS. 

speech  printed,  and  will  send  you  some  copies  to-morrow.  You 
will  find  it  rather  a  dry  thing,  as  I  was  compelled,  iii  writ 
ing  it  out,  to  omit  most  of  it,  except  the  argument  on  the 
constitutional  point.  Had  I  written  all  I  spoke,  it  would  have 
made  a  volume;  for  I  spoke  altogether,  from  ten  to  twelve 
hours,  and  that  pretty  fast.  But  I  need  not  make  apologies  to 
such  partial  critics  as  you  will  all  be.  Tell  George  not  to  make 
as  much  fun  of  rny  prose  as  he  does  of  my  poetry,  or  I  will  get 
hold  of  some  of  his  productions  and  retaliate.  You  must  write 
me  immediately  at  Vicksburg.  Tell  Anna  she  must  mind  and 
get  well  by  the  time  I  come  home  in  the  summer.  My  love 
to  you  all. 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

S.  S, 


SPEECH.  265 


CHAPTER   XI. 

Speech  on  the  Mississippi  Contested  Election. 

We  gi  re  in  this  chapter  the  larger  portion  of  Mr.  Pren- 
tiss'  first  speech  on  claiming  his  seat.  Aside  from  the  im 
portance  of  the  principles  discussed,  it  is  entitled  to  a  place 
here  as  one  of  the  very  few  remains  of  his  argumentative 
power.  The  reader  will,  probably,  admit  that  it  does  no 
discredit  to  this  feature  of  his  eloquence. 

MR.  SPEAKER: — As  an  individual,  I  thank  the  House  for  the 
courtesy  which  has  been  extended  to  me.  On  behalf  of  the 
State  of  Mississippi,  I  acknowledge  the  somewhat  tardy  justice 
which  has  at  length  permitted  her  to  be  heard  upon  the  ques 
tion  of  her  right  to  choose  her  own  representation  on  this  floor. 

The  first  use  I  shall  make  of  the  privilege  accorded  to  me  will 
be  to  set  the  House  right  as  to  the  attitude  of  the  question,  for 
I  perceive  that  many  members  labor  under  a  misapprehension  on 
this  point,  and  I  am  anxious  that  the  position  I  occupy  in  the 
matter  should  be  distinctly  understood.  I  have  petitioned  this 
House  for  nothing ;  neither  have  I  memorialized  it.  I  have  pre 
sented  myself  here  as  a  Representative  from  the  sovereign  State 
of  Mississippi  to  the  Congress  of  the  United  States,  and  claim  a 
seat  on  this  floor,  not  as  a  matter  of  favor,  but  as  a  matter  of  right. 
I  produced  my  credentials,  properly  authenticated,  showing  my 
due  election,  according  to  the  laws  of  that  State,  and  demanded 
to  be  sworn.  No  one  objected  to  the  legality  of  the  election  ; 
no  one  questioned  my  qualification  or  the  correctness  of  the 
returns ;  neither  was  there  any  doubt  as  to  the  authenticity  of 
the  credentials.  The  State  of  Mississippi,  it  was  admitted  on  all 

12 


266  MEMOIR    OF   S.    8.    PRENTISS. 

hands,  had,  through  her  highest  organs,  and  in  accordance  with 
the  provisions  of  her  Constitution  and  laws,  solemnly  accredited 
me  as  her  Representative.  It  was  objected,  however,  that  the 
seats  belonging  to  that  State  were  already  filled,  as  appeared 
by  a  resolution  of  the  House,  adopted  at  its  last  session,  which 
resolution  the  State  had  no  right  to  gainsay. 

You,  sir,  refused  to  administer  the  oath,  and  referred  the  mat 
ter  to  the  House.  The  House  referred  it  to  the  Committee  on 
Elections,  with  instructions  to  report  the  facts  of  the  case,  which 
report,  with  the  resolutions  based  thereupon,  is  now  the  subject 
of  discussion. 

Had  I  been  permitted,  I  should  have  objected  to  this  reference. 
I  thought  then,  and  still  think,  that  a  committee  had  no  busi 
ness  with  the  matter.  It  was  not  a  case  of  contested  election. 
No  one  denied  the  due  election  and  return  of  my  colleague  and 
myself.  Our  credentials  were  perfect  and  unimpeached,  and  the 
only  question  which  arose  was  upon  the  right  of  the  State  of 
Mississippi  to  hold  any  election  in  November  for  Representatives 
to  Congress.  The  State  had  claimed  the  right,  had  exercised  it, 
and  through  me,  had  asserted  it  to  this  House.  No  one  gain, 
payed  the  election,  qualification,  or  return.  It  was  the  right  of 
election  itself  which  was  controverted,  and  not  the  right  of  those 
claiming  under  it.  The  State  of  Mississippi  asserted  her  right  in 
November  last  to  elect  Representatives  to  the  25th  Congress,  in 
obedience  to  her  laws,  which  she  believes  to  be  constitutional, 
and  binding  upon  this  House.  The  House  denied  the  right,  and 
set  up  its  own  action  against  it.  Now,  as  far  as  the  House  had 
jurisdiction  to  decide  upon  this  collision  between  itself  and  the 
State,  I  thought  it  could  and  should  have  proceeded  at  once, 
without  the  intervention  of  a  committee. 

I  listened  with  feelings  of  deep  regret  and  alarm,  to  sentiments 
expressed  by  honorable  gentlemen,  whose  only  advantage  over 
myself  has  arisen  from  an  earlier  action  on  the  part  of  the  States 
which  they  represent,  and  an  assertion  of  their  claims  at  an 
earlier  period  than  was  practicable  on  my  part.  Sir,  is  there  a 
gentleman  on  this  floor  who  holds  his  seat  by  virtue  of  a  law 
more  definite,  under  credentials  more  perfect,  with  an  expres- 


SPIIECH.  26T 

sion  more  extensive  or  more  decisive  of  the  popular  will,  than 
what  were  exhibited  and  admitted  in  the  present  instance?  And 
yet  it  was  said  that  the  high  and  solemn  authentication,  by  a 
State,  of  her  Representative  here,  stands  upon  the  same  footing, 
and  is  entitled  to  no  greater  consideration  than  an  humble  me 
morial,  or  a  beggarly  petition.  Yes,  sir,  one  of  the  twenty-six 
States  of  this  Confederacy,  constitutionally  entitled  to  furnish 
and  compose  a  portion  of  this  very  body  itself,  stands,  when  as 
serting  such  right,  in  no  better  attitude  than  a  private  individual 
praying  for  a  place,  or  petitioning  for  a  pension.  I  protest 
against  such  doctrines;  they  are  equally  degrading  to  the  char 
acter  of  the  States  and  of  this  House,  composed,  as  it  is,  of  the 
Representatives  of  those  very  States  whose  rights  are  treated 
with  such  contempt.  I  deny  that  the  action  of  a  great  indepen 
dent  political  community  is  entitled  to  no  other  attention,  or  is 
subject  to  the  same  technical  rules  of  procedure  as  the  action  of 
a  private  individual. 

Some  benefit,  however,  I  will  acknowledge,  has  resulted  from 
the  reference;  the  facts  are  now  all  before  the  House  in  their 
most  authentic  form,  and,  though  portions  of  them  have  but  little 
bearing  upon  the  main  question  in  controversy,  to  wit,  the  right 
of  election,  yet  I  doubt  not  they  will  produce  a  salutary  effect 
in  diminishing  the  prejudice  which  has  arisen  from  an  ex parte 
and  mistaken  view  of  the  case. 

In  performing  the  high  errand  upon  which  I  have  been  sent, 
I  am  conscious  of  the  serious  disadvantages  under  under  which 
I  labor.  In  the  first  place,  I  am  a  stranger  here ;  and  the  claim 
which  I  advance  is  opposed  by  two  gentlemen  who  doubtless 
possess  and  deserve  the  sympathies  of  this  Plouse.  These  gentle 
men,  too,  are  in  full  enjoyment  of  the  subject-matter  of  dispute, 
and  upon  their  side  is  enlisted  that  natural  prejudice  which  all 
mankind  feel  in  favor  of  possession. 

One  of  them  (Mr.  Claiborne)  has,  in  advance  of  this  discussion, 
submitted  to  the  House  an  addres.',  in  which,  with  great  skill, 
he  appeals  to  the  personal  friendships  and  social  relations  which 
he  has  so  long  had  the  opportunity  of  forming.  Indeed,  they 
have  all  the  advantage  o£.  position.  I  come  to  them  an  unweJ 


MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PEENT1SS. 

come  messenger  from  their  master,  that  great  Sultan,  the  People, 
bearing  as  a  present  the  political  bow-string ;  and  it  is  not  to  be 
expected  that  the  rebellious  Pachas  will  consent  to  be  cliolced  off 
without  a  struggle.  Indeed,  they  boast  that  they  have,  long 
since,  entered  into  a  treaty  with  this  House,  by  which  the 
House  is  bound  to  protect  them  in  their  treasonable  practices, 
and  to  interpose  its  broad  shield  between  them  and  their  justly 
exasperated  sovereign. 

I  regret  the  position  which  I  am  compelled  to  occupy  in  rela 
tion  to  these  gentlemen,  with  both  of  whom  my  intercourse  has 
always  been  marked  by  the  most  kindly  feelings.  I  have,  how 
ever,  a  high  duty  to  perform.  I  act  for  others,  and  not  for  my 
self;  and  I  should  be  unworthy  the  confidence  which  has  been 
reposed  in  me  did  I  allow  any  personal  considerations  to  in 
fluence  my  action  or  bias  my  judgment. 

A  portion  of  the  public  press  has  interfered  in  this  matter  in 
the  most  licentious  manner.  Even  since  it  has  been  undergoing 
an  acknowledged  judicial  investigation  by  this  House,  the  ques 
tion  has  been  decided  out  of  doors  with  an  air  of  ex  cathedra 
authority,  which  is  manifestly  intended  to  have  an  effect  here. 
The  official  organ  itself  has  spoken,  and  with  an  ignorance  of  the 
law  only  to  be  equalled  by  its  perversion  of  the  facts.  I  have 
alluded  to  this  matter  merely  to  inquire  whether  the  god  or  the 
priest  alone,  is  responsible  for  the  lying  oracle ;  to  deprecate 
Executive  interference  in  this  controversy;  and  to  express  my 
hope  that  the  sword  of  Brennus  is  not  to  be  cast  into  the  scale, 
compelling,  by  its  massive  weight,  right  and  justice  to  kick  the 
beam. 

Rumor,  through  some  of  her  hundred  mouths,  has  bruited  it 
abroad  that  this  case  would  be  decided  not  upon  its  merits,  but 
upon  party  grounds.  In  accordance  with  her  ancient  custom, 
she  surely  lied;  for,  when  I  cast  my  eyes  around,  and  behold 
collected  here  the  selected  wisdom  nnd  worth  of  this  mighty 
nation,  I  cannot  restrain  my  indignation  at  the  foul  and  ground 
less  slander.  "What !  tlixs  right  of  representation  of  a  whole 
State  to  be  decided  upon  party  grounds!  the  elective  franchise 
to  be  sacrificed  at  the  shrine  of  party !  I  do  not  believe  it,  sir, 


SPEECH.  269 

I  do  not  believe  it.  A  degree  of  corruption  which  would  war- 
rant  such  a  supposition,  exceeds  my  comprehension.  I  have  a 
better  opinion  of  my  kind;  and,  if  I  had  not,  sir,  I  would  trust 
to  fear  even  after  I  had  lost  confidence  in  honesty.  No  party  in 
this  country  dares  tamper  with  the  elective  franchise  of  a  whole 
State.  No  party  dares  remove  a  corner-stone  at  the  risk  of  bring 
ing  the  whole  edifice  tumbling  about  their  ears.  JSTo  party  dares 
place  the  match  to  a  magazine,  whose  explosion,  they  must  know, 
will  blow  them  to  atoms.  The  People  guard  with  more  than 
Argus-vigilance  the  right  of  representation,  for  it  has  not  been 
long  since  their  fathers  fought  for  it;  and  woe  betide  the  party 
which  shall  attempt  to  steal  from  them  the  Hesperian  fruit. 

Did  I  think  that  rumor  spoke  truth  ;  that  faction  would  usurp 
the  seat  of  judgment,  and  partisan  prejudice,  instead  of  the  Con 
stitution  and  the  laws,  furnish  the  rule  of  decision,  then,  indeed, 
I  should  deem  it  worse  than  useless  to  trespass  upon  your 
patience.  With  slow  and  melancholy  steps  I  should  return  to 
those  who  sent  me  here,  and  tell  them  that  the  days  of  the 
Republic  were  numbered  ;  that  the  spirit  of  liberty  had  departed, 
and  in  its  stead  a  demon  had  entered  and  taken  possession  of  the 
body,  directing  its  movements  and  controlling  its  functions. 

I  would  that  I  wielded  the  spear  of  Ithuriel,  that  with  U  I 
might  touch  the  foul  fiend  of  party,  should  he  dare  "  squat  i.ke 
a  toad"  to  whisper  false  suggestions  in  the  ear  of  this  Hous-3 ; 
then  would  he  start  up  in  all  his  horrid  deformity,  with  a  viafcge 
more  hideous  than  that  of  the  dark  Mokanna,  the  Veiled  Prop».-et 
of  Khorassan.*  But,  as  I  have  said,  I  cannot  believe  ther*  is 


*  Dreadful  it  was  to  see  the  ghostly  stare, 
The  stony  look  of  horror  and  despair, 
Which  some  of  these  expiring  victims  cast 
Upon  that  mocking  Fiend,  whose  veil,  now  raised, 
Showed  them,  as  in  death's  agony  they  gazed, 
Not  the  long-promised  light,  the  brow,  whose  beaming 
Was  to  cbme  forth,  all  conquering,  all  redeeming, 
But  features  horribler  than  Hell  o'er  traced 
On  its  own  brood  ;  no  Demon  of  the  Waste, 
No  church-yard  Ghole,  caught  lingering  in  the  light 
Of  the  blest  sun,  e'er  blasted  human  sight 
With  lineaments  so  foul,  so  fierce  as  those 
The  Impostor  now,  in  grinning  mockery,  shows. 

Lalla  Rookh. 


270 


1IEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 


anything  to  fear  on  this  score.  The  hounds  of  party  may  how1 
around  these  walls,  but  surely  they  will  not  dare  to  enter  within 
their  sacred  precincts. 

In  approaching  the  subject  of  this  controvery,  I  confess,  Mr. 
Speaker,  I  am  filled  with  alarm  at  the  magnitude  of  the  task  I 
have  undertaken.  In  ordinary  questions  of  law,  decision  travels 
with  confidence  and  ease  upon  the  highway  of  precedent,  but 
penetrates,  with  slow  and  doubtful  steps,  among  the  less  beaten 
paths  of  constitutional  construction.  In  searching  into  the  prin 
ciples  of  organic  law,  in  examining  and  measuring  the  exact 
ex  cent  and  relative  position  of  the  pediments  and  arches  which 
sustain  the  pillars  arid  walls  of  the  political  fabric,  skill  and 
experience  should  be  the  companions  of  reason.  I  am  aware 
how  greatly  I  lack  both.  I  know  that  I  have  around  me 
materials  more  than  sufficient  for  the  construction  of  an  impreg 
nable  argument;  but  that  very  abundance,  from  which  the  eye 
of  a  more  experienced  artificer  would  select  at  once  the  portions 
most  appropriate  for  the  work,  distracts  my  attention  and  con 
fuses  my  choice. 

Sir,  this  controversy  is  of  an  importance  unsurpassed  by  any 
that  can  arise  out  of  our  political  system.     It  involves  not  merely 
the  question,  whether  A.  or  B.  is  entitled  to  a  seat  on  this  floor 
as  the  Representative  of  the  People  of  the  State  of  Mississippi; 
but  the  question,  also,  whether  the  right  to  choose  such  Repre 
sentative  resides  with  the  People  of  that  State,  or  in  this  House; 
whether  the  laws  of  that  State,  enacted  in  accordance  with  an 
express  mandate  of  the  Constitution  of  the  United   States,  are 
mere  nullities;  whether  the  executive  authority  of  a  State  has 
the  power,  at  his  discretion,  to  abrogate  and  nullify  an  admitted 
constitutional  law.     It  involves  more  than  this;  it  involves  the 
question  whether  this  House  can,  under  cover  of  its  power  of 
judging  of  the  elections,  qualifications  and  returns  of  its  mem 
bers,  nullify  a  constitutional  law  of  a  State,  or  of  Congress,  fix. 
ing  the  time  for  the  election  of  Representatives  to  Congress. 
This  is  not  all ;  it  involves  the  right  of  the  delegations  of  one- 
half  of  the  States  to  the  very  seats  which  they  now  occupy.    In 
fact,  it  involves  the  constitutional  character  of  every  House  of 
P^-*esentatives  that  ever  assembled  in  this  hall.     Such  are  some 


SPEECH.  271 

of  the  considerations  which  will  arise  in  this  discussion,  and  I 
doubt  not,  their  magnitude  and  importance  will  command  atten 
tion,  and  insure  the  most  mature  deliberation. 

I  lay  down  the  following  proposi lions,  which  I  shall  endeavor 
to  demonstrate  in  the  course  of  my  argument : 

1st.  That  Messrs.  CLAIBORNE  and  GHOLSON  never  were  con 
stitutionally  or  legally  elected  Representatives  from  the  State  of 
Mississippi  to  the  25th  Congress ;  and  that  the  election  in  July 
last,  under  which  they  claim,  was  absolutely  and  wholly  void — 
a  mere  nullity. 

2d.  That,  if  said  election  was  good  for  anything,  it  was  good 
only  for  the  period  of  time  anterior  to  that  fixed  by  the  law  of 
the  State  for  the  general  election,  to  wit,  the  first  Monday  and 
day  following  in  November;  inasmuch  as  said  July  election  was 
ordered  to  fill  that  period  only,  and  was  h olden  by  the  electors 
for  the  purpose  and  with  the  intention  of  filling  that  period  only  ; 
and  that,  in  point  of  fact,  no  election  was  ordered  or  holden  in. 
Mississippi  in  July  last  for  Representatives  to  the  25th  Congress. 

3d.  That,  in  November  last,  my  colleague  and  myself  were 
constitutionally  and  legally  elected  Representatives  from  the 
State  of  Mississippi  to  the  25th  Congress. 

But  I  am  met  upon  the  threshold  by  the  gentlemen,  and  told 
that  I  shall  not  be  permitted  to  demonstrate  a  single  one  of  these 
propositions;  that,  at  the  special  session,  a  resolution  involving 
them  all  was  adopted  by  this  House ;  that  the  whole  matter  be 
came  thereby  res  adjudicata ;  and  that  the  decision,  so  made, 
was  final  and  conclusive,  incapable  of  revision,  and  binding  upon 
all  the  world.  They  tell  me  that,  even  admitting  the  three  pro 
positions  laid  down  by  me  to  be  true,  still  they  are  entitled  to 
their  seats,  by  virtue  of  the  judgment  of  this  House;  and  that, 
by  said  judgment,  the  State  of  Mississippi  is  estopped  from  prov 
ing  that  they  are  not  her  Representatives.  Such  is  the  position 
which  the  gentlemen  have  assumed  before  the  committee,  and 
such  is  the  ground  which  they  occupy  before  the  House.  Dipped, 
Achilles-like,  in  this  judicial  Styx,  they  deem  themselves  invul 
nerable  ;  but  I  trust  I  shall  be  able  to  find  some  soft  place  ic 
heel  or  head,  to  which  the  arrow  of  truth  may  cleave  its  way, 


272  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PREJCTISS. 

Have  the  gentlemen  considered  well  the  attitude  in  whk>  they 
place  themselves  by  this  course?  Was  not  their  better  angel 
nodding  at  his  post  when  they  resolved  upon  it?  Was  there 
nothing  in  the  manner  and  circumstances  under  which  that  de 
cision  was  obtained,  which  should  make  them  feel  a  parricukr 
delicacy  in  using  it  for  the  purpose  of  smothering  the  present  in 
vestigation?  Whither  has  fled  that,  lofty  magnanimity  which, 
at  the  last  session,  induced  the  gentlemen  to  institute  proceed 
ings  against  themselves,  for  the  purpo.-e  of  ascertaining  the 
rights  of  their  constituents  ;  that  delicate  sensibility  which  could 
not  brook  a  shadow  of  doubt  as  to  the  legitimacy  of  their  repre 
sentative  character  ;  that  fostering  protection  of  the  elective 
franchise ;  that  deep  veneration  for  the  voice  of  the  People ; 
that  ready  obedience  to  their  will? 

Do  the  gentleman  really  wish  to  represent  the  People  of  Mis 
sissippi,  whether  they  will  or  not?  Do  they,  actually 'intend  to 
set  up  a  majority  of  seventeen  votes  here  against  a  majority  of 
seven  thousand  at  home?  Did  they  obtain  this  decision  for  the 
purpose  of  extending  the  powers  delegated  to  them  by  the 
People?  Whom  do  they  consider  their  constituents,  the  People 
of  Mississippi  or  the  members  of  this  House,  that  they  should 
base  their  rights  here  upon  the  action  and  will  of  the  latter,  in 
stead  of  the  former?  Does  not  their  valor  outrun  their  discre 
tion  in  this  matter?  A  bold  man  was  he,  that  ancient  one,  who 
stole  the  fire  from  Heaven  and  hid  it  in  a  hollow  reed;  but  not 
less  bold  is  he  who  would  steal  the  elective  franchise  from  the 
people  of  a  whole  State,  and  hide  it  in  a  hollow  decision  of  this 
House.  Let  them  remember  the  fate  of  Prometheus,  "  the  vul 
ture  and  the  rock."  Come,  I  cast  down  my  glove,  and  challenge 
them  to  do  battle  upon  the  merits  of  this  cause.  "What !  are 
they  afraid  to  break  a  lance  or  shiver  a  spear  in  fair  lists  upon 
the  open  plain,  that  thus  silent  and  sullen  they  retire  behind  the 
wall,  and  hide  in  an  intrenchment,  constructed,  one  would  judge, 
for  the  very  purpose  of  protecting  themselves  against  their  con 
stituents  ?  Perhaps  they  are  content  with  t'ie  laurels  .won  on  a 
former  occasion,  when,  as  I  am  told,  in  right  knightly  style  they 
held  a  passage  at  arms,  and  challenged  all  comers.  Thev  pranced. 


SPEECH.  273 

it  is  said,  in  gallant  guise  around  the  lists,  and  their  trumpet  of 
defiance  rung  forth  loud  and  clear.  But  well  they  knew  the  while, 
that  two  thousand  long  miles,  with  many  p  lofty  mountain  and 
many  a  broad  and  rushing  river  intervened  between  themselves 
and  those  whom  they  thus  summoned  to  the  contest.  That  sum 
mons  is  at  length  answered  by  the  People  of  Mississippi,  on  whose 
oehftlf,  and  as  an  humble  champion  of  whose  rights,  I  now 
appear.  Fast  and  far  I  have  ridden  to  meet  the  gentleman's  high 
defiance.  Ivanhoe  has  returned  from  the  Holy  Land,  and  the 
Disinherited  Knight  dares  the  proud  Templar  to  the  combat, 

Again,  and  for  the  last  time,  in  the  name  of  Missrisippi,  the 
lady-love  whose  gage  we  both  profess  to  wear,  I  call  upon  the 
gentlemen  to  come  forth  from  their  castle  of  "res  aajudicata" 
as  they  call  it,  and  meet  this  controversy  upon  fair  and  open 
ground. 

They  decline  the  invitation.  "Well,  if  they  will  no*  come  to 
me,  I  will  go  to  them.  1  will  attack  this  fortress  in  which  they 
have  taken  refuge.  It  strikes  me  that  it  can  be  either  stormed 
or  starved  into  a  surrender;  for  I  do  not  believe  that  its  defen 
ces  are  tenable,  or  its  garrison  victualled  for  a  very  l.vng  siege. 
Let  the  gentlemen  remember,  too,  that  they  have  rendered 
themselves  fully  liable  to  the  operation  of  that  rule  of  \?ar  which 
denies  quarter  to  those  who  attempt  to  defend  an  untenable 
position. 

Let  us  now  examine  into  the  character  of  this  res  adji'-dicata, 
•which,  like  the  seal  of  Solomon,  has  closed  up  tha  whole 
matter. 

At  the  special  session  of  Congress  in  September  last,  Messrs. 
Claiborne  and  Gholson  appeared  and  took  their  seats'  on  the 
first  day  thereof,  as  Representatives  from  the  State  of  Mississippi. 
They  participated  in  the  organization  of  the  House,  and  in  all 
business  transacted  by  it,  until  the  fourteenth  cL-iy  of  the  session, 
when  Mr.  Giiolsori  introduced  the  following  resolution,  which 
was  adopted  by  the  He  use:  "Resolved,  That  the  Committee  of 
Elections  be  instructed  to  report  upon  the  certificate  of  election 
of  Messrs.  Claiborne  and  Gholson,  the  members  elect  from  Mis 
sissippi,  whether  they  are  members  .of  the  25th  Congress  or  not; 

12* 


274 


MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 


and  that  said  committee  take  into  their  consideration  the  procla 
mation  of  his  excellency  Charles  Lynch,  Governor  of  said  State, 
and  the  writ  of  election  issued  in  accordance  with  said  procla 
mation  on  the  13th  day  of  June,  183V,  and  also  the  act  of  the 
legislature  of  the  State  of  Mississippi  entitled  'An  act  to  regulate 
elections,  approved  March  2,  1833.'  "  Upon  this  reference  the 
Committee  of  Elections  made  a  report,  concluding  with  the  fol 
lowing  resolution  :  "  Resolved,  That  Samuel  J.  Gholson  and  John 
F.  H.  Claiborne  are  duly  elected  members  of  the  25th  Congress, 
and,  as  such,  are  entitled  to  their  seats."  This  resolution  was 
adopted  by  the  House,  and  its  adoption  constitutes  the  res  adju- 
dicata  which  the  gentlemen  set  up  as  final  and  conclusive  of  the 
whole  matter,  both  upon  the  House  and  upon  the  State. 

Now,  with  regard  to  this  action  of  the  House,  I  take  the 
following  points : 

1st.  That  it  was  not  a  judicial  act  of  this  House  at  all,  nor  was 
It  adopted  by  this  House  acting  as  a  judicature. 

2d.  It  was  not  a  decision  or  adjudication  upon  the  election, 
qualification,  or  return  of  myself  and  colleague,  our  election  and 
return  having  taken  place  long  since  said  pretended  adjudication. 
3d.  That  so  far  as  said  pretended  adjudication  goes  to  alter  or 
annul  the  law  of  Mississippi,  fixing  the  time  for  the  election  of 
her  representatives  to  the  25th  Congress,  it  is  void;  this  House 
having  no  power,  either  legislative  or  judicial,  to  alter  or  annul 
a  constitutional  law  of  a  State  fixing  the  time  for  the  general 
election  of  her  representatives  to  Congress. 

4th.  Said  pretended  adjudication  is  not  conclusive  upon  the 
State  of  Mississippi,  because,  she  was  neither  a  party  to  the 
proceeding  upon  which  it  was  based,  nor  had  any  notice  thereof, 
either  actual  or  constructive. 

5th.  Said  pretended  adjudication  was  founded  upon  palpable 
mistake,  and  the  House  is  bound  to  review  it. 

1st.  The  adoption  of  said  resolution  was  not  a  judical  act  of 
this  House. 

Messrs.  Claiborne  and  Gholson  were  in  possession  of  their 
seats,  participating  in  all  the  business  of  the  House:  no  one 
contested  their  election,  and  the  resolution  introduced  by  them* 


SPEECH.  275 

selves  originated  entirsly  out  of  their  delicate  sensibilities  on  the 
subject,  and  was  nothing  more  than  an  application  to  the  House 
for  its  advice  and  opinion  upon  the  validity  of  their  return. 
Such  was  the  understanding  and  view  of  the  committee,  as 
appears  from  the  following  extract  from  their  report:  "Fo 
objection,"  says  the  committee,  "is  made  from  any  quarter  to 
the  right  of  the  gentlemen  elect  to  their  seats,  only  by  and 
through  themselves ;  on  account  of  the  peculiar  circumstances 
under  which  the  election  was  held,  their  own  delicacy  and  sense 
of  propriety  have  prompted  them  to  invite  a  scrutiny  into  their 
right  to  seats  in  this  House." 

This  shows  that  the  whole  proceeding  originated  in  the  tender 
consciences  of  the  gentlemen,  and  that  the  House  was  applied  to 
as  a  sort  of  Lord  Chancellor,  to  quiet  their  scruples ;  the  resolu 
tion  of  reference  did  not  contemplate  or  authorize  an  investigation 
either  into  the  election  or  qualification  of  the  sitting  members; 
the  reference  is  special,  "instructing  the  committee  to  report 
upon  the  certificate  of  election  of  Messrs.  Claiborne  and  Gholson, 
the  members  elect  from  Mississippi,  whether  they  are  members 
of  the  25th  Congress  or  not^"  &c.  This  confined  the  committee 
to  the  return  alone,  and  the  resolution  reported  by  them,  and 
adopted  by  the  House,  must  be  construed  in  connexion  with  the 
resolution  of  reference,  and  really  amounts  to  no  more  than  a 
resolution,  that  upon  their  certificate  of  election,  or  return, 
it  appeared  that  Messrs.  Claiborne  and  Gholsoii  were  duly 
elected,  &c. 

The  jurisdiction  of  the  committee  was  limited  to  this  question, 
and  their  action  cannot  be  legitimately  construed  as  extending 
beyond  it.  Their  whole  power  over  the  subject  was  derived 
from  and  limited  by  the  resolution  of  reference.  So  far  as  they 
intended  to  embrace  in  their  report  any  other  matter  than  the 
return,  they  exceed  their  authority,  and  travelled  beyond  the 
record. 

Will  any  one  contend,  for  instance,  that  the  committee  would 
have  been  authorized^  under  the  special  reference  above  set  forth, 
to  have  investigated  the  question  of  qualification?  It  seems  to 
me  perfectly  clear  that  the  reso  ution  of  reference  did  not  con- 


276  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

template  or  authorize  an  examination  or  decision  of  the  absolute 
right  of  Messrs.  Claiborne  and  Gholson  to  seats  in  the  twenty- 
fifth  Congress,  but  only  of  their  credentials  or  certificate  of  elec 
tion,  to  ascertain  whether  they  had  been  returned,  and  could 
exhibit,  by  their  certificate  of  election,  a  prima  facie  showing  of 
right.  It  was  the  question  of  prima  facie  and  not  absolute  right 
which  the  committee  were  directed  to  investigate. 

The  gentlemen  say  to  the  House,  "  Upon  our  certificate  of  elec 
tion,  are  we  entitled  to  take  our  seats  as  members  of  the  twenty 
fifth  Congress  ?  We  have  doubts  upon  the  subject,  and  our  high 
sense  of  delicacy  has  impelled  us  to  ask  the  opinion  of  the  House." 
The  House,  through  its  committee,  examines  the  certificate  of 
election,  and  answers  the  gentlemen  by  a  resolution  that  they 
are  duly  elected,  and  entitled  to  seats.  Now,  the  extent  of  this 
response  must  be  measured  by  the  extent  of  the  inquiry  ;  and,  so 
measured,  amounts  to  no  more  than  this :  "  Upon  your  certificate 
of  election  you  are  entitled  to  seats ;  in  other  words,  you  have 
made  a  prima  facie  showing,  sufficient  to  authorize  you  to  take 
seats  as  members  of  this  body." 

The  whole  of  this  amounted  to  no  more  than  what  had 
been  already  tacitly  decided  by  the  House  in  the  case  of 
every  one  of  its  members ;  for  the  very  admission  of  a  person 
to  be  sworn  as  a  member,  is  as  much  a  decision  and  adjudi 
cation  of  his  right  of  membership  as  a  positive  resolution  of  the 
House  affirming  the  right.  Yet  it  is  every  day's  occurrence 
for  the  sitting  member  to  be  ousted  of  his  seat  when  contested, 
after  the  House  has  decided,  by  admitting  him  to  be  sworn,  that 
he  was  entitled  to  it.  In  the  present  instance  the  House  had, 
by  permitting  Messrs.  Gholson  and  Claiborne  to  participate  in 
its  organization,  and  take  part  in  its  proceedings,  as  fully  decided 
upon  their  right  to  seats  as  by  the  resolution  subsequently 
adopted.  Neither  the  tacit  nor  the  open  decision,  however,  can 
be  considered  in  the  nature  of  a  judicial  act.  To  constitute  this 
there  must  be  parties  and  a  contest — of  which  there  was  neither 
in  the  present  case.  The  conclnsion  to  which  I  am  brought  by 
these  considerations  is,  that  the  resolution  adopted  by  the  House 
opon  the  report  of  the  committee,  when  taken  and  con- 


SPEECH.  277 

«trued,  as  it  must  be,  in  connexion  with  the  resolution  of 
reference,  is  merely  an  expression  of  the  opinion  of  the  House 
that  these  gentlemen  had  been  d/ily  returned,  and  upon  their 
certificate  of  election,  in  other  words,  prima  facie,  were  entitled 
to  seats  in  the  twenty-fifth  Congress.  If  this  construction 
be  correct,  then  the  adoption  of  that  resolution  interposes  no 
obstacle  in  the  way  of  the  present  investigation. 

2d.  At  all  events,  the  action  of  the  House  at  the  last  session 
cannot  be  considered  an  adjudication  upon  the  election,  qualifica 
tions,  or  return  of  myself  and  colleague ;  for  the  election  had  not 
taken  place,  and  the  subject-matter  did  not  exist  for  adjudication. 
If  the  House  adjudged  upon  any  thing,  it  was  only  upon  the 
matter  before  it,  and  not  prospectively  upon  future  elections. 
The  resolution  adopted  by  this  House  does  not  profess  to  decide 
upon  the  November  election ;  neither  does  it  in  anywise  refer 
to  it,  nor  was  it  competent  to  do  so.  Any  prospective  decision 
in  relation  to  that  election  would  have  been  clearly  coram  non 
judice.  It  is  sufficient,  however,  to  say  there  is  no  such  decision. 

The  resolution  adopted  at  the  last  session  may  appear  incom 
patible  with  the  claim  which  I  advance;  but  this  is  no  more 
than  happens  every  day  in  courts  of  justice,  to  whose  acts  gentle 
men  seem  so  anxious  to  assimilate  this  proceeding.  A  court,  to 
day,  solemnly  adjudges  a  piece  of  property  to  belong  to  A.;  to 
morrow,  a  better  title  is  exhibited  by  B. ;  and  the  same  court 
adjudges  the  same  property  to  B.,  apparently  in  direct  contradic 
tion  of  its  previous  decision ;  nor  would  the  court  permit  such 
previous  decision  to  be  interposed  as  a  bar  to  the  claim  of  B.  I 
take  it  to  be  clear  that,  even  according  to  the  strictest  technical 
rules  which  govern  judicial  proceedings,  a  decision  by  this  House 
that  the  July  election  was  valid,  is  not  an  adjudication  that  the 
November  election  would  be  invalid.  If  this  position  is  correct, 
Mien  the  question  of  the  validity  of  the  election  of  myself  and 
colleague  in  November  is  res  Integra,  and  cannot  be  in  any  sort 
affected  by  any  previous  decision  of  this  House  upon  any  other 
election. 

I  come  now  to  the  third  position,  which  I  have  laid  down  in 
reference  to  this  point.  It  is,  "that  so  far  as  said  pretended 


278  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS 

adjudication  goes  to  alter  or  annul  the  law  of  Mississippi,  fixing 
the  time  for  the  election  of  her  representatives  to  the  twenty- 
fifth  Congress,  it  is  void ;  this  House  having  no  power,  either 
legislative  or  judicial,  to  alter  or  annul  a  constitutional  law 
of  a  State  fixing  the  time  for  the  general  election  of  representa 
tives  to  Congress.'1  The  question  arising  out,  of  this  position 
is  one  of  vast  importance,  involving  considerations  of  the 
highest  magnitude.  There  cannot  arise  out  of  our  political 
system  a  question  of  deeper  interest  than  that  which  involves 
the  extent  of  the  powers  of  this  House  over  the  subject  of 
representation.  No  case  has  ever  before  happened  in  which  a 
direct  collision  has  occurred  between  this  House  and  one  of  the 
States,  in  relation  to  their  respective  constitutional  powers  over 
this  matter.  Such,  however,  is  the  unpleasant  attitude  which 
the  State  of  Mississippi  and  this  House  now  occupy  in  regard  to 
each  other.  I  approach  the  investigation  of  this  question  with 
great  diffidence.  I  find  myself  walking  upon  untrodden  ground : 
no  light  of  precedent  guides  my  footsteps;  and  it  is  with  an 
inexperienced  eye  that  I  shall  attempt  to  ascertain,  from  the 
great  principles  of  the  Constitution  itself,  the  true  rule  of  con 
struction. 

The  power  of  this  House  over  the  subject  of  representation  is 
derived  from  the  following  clause  of  the  5th  section,  1st  article 
of  the  Constitution:  "Each  house  shall  be  the  judge  of  the 
elections,  returns  and  qualifications  of  its  own  members."  Now 
what  is  the  extent  of  the  jurisdiction  conferred  by  this  clause? 
Does  it  give  to  the  House  a  full  and  complete  jurisdiction  over 
the  whole  subject-matter  of  representation  ?  Or  does  it  confer 
only  a  limited  and  special  jurisdiction  over  particular  portions 
of  the  subject?  I  humbly  conceive  that  the  latter  question  alore 
can  be  answered  in  the  affirmative. 

The  designation  and  specification  of  particular  portions  of  the 
subject-matter  necessarily  precludes  the  idea  of  a  general  juris 
diction  over  the  whole ;  more  especially  when  other  portions 
are  expressly  placed  under  the  jurisdiction  of  other  departments 
of  Government. 

Now,  the  subject-matter  of  representation  is  parcelled  out  by 


SPEECH.  27S 

the  Constitution  among  divers  departments  of  the  State  and 
Federal  Governments,  and  I  conceive  the  proposition  too  plain 
to  admit  of  contradiction,  that  each  of  these  departments  or 
depositaries  is  bound  to  exercise  the  portion  of  power  assigned 
to  it,  without  infringing  upon  or  interfering  with  the  conjstitu- 
tional  powers  of  the  other  agents  or  depositaries,  and  that  any 
euch  infringement  or  interference  would  be  a  palpable  violation 
of  the  Constitution.  The  Constitution  directs  that  representa 
tion  shall  be  apportioned  among  the  States  in  proportion  to  num 
bers,  &c.,  and  directs  that  an  enumeration  shall  be  made  at  stated 
periods  as  the  bnsis  of  such  apportionment.  Now,  after  an  ap 
portionment  has  been  constitutionally  made  by  law,  will  any  one 
contend  that  this  House,  under  the  power  of  judging  of  the  elec 
tions,  returns  and  qualifications  of  its  members,  could  change  or 
alter  such  apportionment?  For  instance,  the  State  of  Virginia 
is  entitled,  by  the  present  apportionment,  to  twenty-one  mem 
bers  :  suppose,  upon  the  presentation  of  her  delegation,  the 
House  had  decided  that  she  was  entitled  to  ten  only,  and  had 
adopted  a  resolution  to  that  effect ;  would  such  a  resolution  have 
been  binding  either  upon  the  House  or  upon  the  State  ?  Clearly 
not.  It  would  have  been  a  palpable  usurpation  on  the  part  of 
the  House,  and,  if  persisted  in,  would  have  constituted  a  virtual 
dissolution  of  the  government.  Here  is  one  portion  of  the  sub 
ject-matter  of  representation,  not  falling  within  the  scope  of  the 
judicial  power  of  the  House. 

Again,  the  Constitution  provides,  in  the  2d  section  of  the  1st 
article,  that  "the  House  of  Representatives  shall  be  composed  of 
members  chosen  every  second  year  by  the  people  of  the  several 
States."  Can  this  House,  by  virtue  of  its  judicial  power  over 
the  elections  of  its  members,  make  a  valid  and  binding  deci 
sion,  extending  their  term  of  service  beyond  two  years?  Clearly 
not;  otherwise  Congress  might  declare  itself  perpetual,  and  we 
should  soon  have  a  rump  parliament.  ISTo  one  will  contend,  for 
one  instant,  that  such  a  power  resides  in  the  House.  But,  why 
not?  Because,  the  Constitution  has  itself  decided  that  matter; 
and  thereby  placed  it  beyond  the  jurisdiction  of  the  House. 
Here,  then,  is  another  portion  of  the  subject-matter  of  represen^ 


280  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PREXTISS. 

tation,  and  a  portion,  also,  of  the  subject  of  election,  to  wit,  the 
term  of  service,  upon  which  a  resolution  or  adjudication  of  thir 
House  would  be  entirely  powerless  and  nugatory. 

Again,  the  Constitution,  after  defining  the  basis  of  representa 
tion-,  and  prescribing  the  term  of  service,  as  before  mentioned, 
provides  that  "the  times,  places  and  manner  of  holding  elections 
for  Senators  and  Representatives  shall  be  prescribed  in  eacli 
State  by  the  Legislature  thereof;  but  the  Congress  may  at  any 
time  ly  law  make  or  alter  such  regulations,  except  as  to  the 
peaces  of  choosing  Senators."  The  State  Legislatures  have  then 
the  power  of  fixing  the  time  of  holding  elections  for  Representa 
tives,  subject  to  no  constitutional  limitation  except  that  con 
tained  in  the  2nd  section  of  the  1st  article,  which  directs  that 
the  time  shall  be  in  every  second  year.  Now  I  take  it,  that  a 
legislative  act,  authorized  and  commanded  by  the  Constitution, 
has  all  the  sanction  and  validity  of  the  constitutional  provision 
itself,  from  whence  it  is  derived;  and  that  the  constitutional 
action  of  the  Legislature  of  a  State,  fixing  the  time  of  holding 
elections  for  Representatives,  can  no  more  be  annulled  or  disre 
garded  by  this  House,  whether  acting  in  a  judicial  or  legislative 
capacity,  than  the  same  provision  or  designation  incorporated  in 
the  Constitution  itself.  Now,  will  any  one  contend  for  one 
instant,  that  if  the  Constitution  had  itself  provided  that  the 
election  of  Representatives  from  the  State  of  Mississippi  to  the 
25th  Congress  should  take  place  on  the  first  Monday  and  day 
following  of  November,  this  House  could  have  annulled  such 
constitutional  provision  in  advance,  so  as  to  have  rendered  the 
election  held  under  its  authority  void  ?  Would  not  rather  such 
adjudication  of  the  House  have  been  void,  so  far  as  it  violated 
the  constitutional  regulation  ?  Upon  what  principle  is  an  adju 
dication  of  this  House  in  violation  of  the  constitutional  provision 
in  relation  to  the  times  of  holding  elections,  more  binding  than 
an  adjudication  extending  the  term  of  service,  in  violation  of 
the  clause  of  the  Constitution  limiting  it  to  two  years?  Yet,  in 
the  latter  case  every  one  will  admit  that  the  action  of  the  House* 
would  be  void;  why  not  in  the  former?  It  seems  to  me  clear 
that  no  decision  of  this  House  alone  can  affect  or  change  the  term 


SPEECH.  281 

*»f  service,  the  apportionment  of  representation,  or  the  times, 
places,  and  manner  of  holding  elections,  as  constitutionally  fixed 
by  the  State  Legislatures,  or  by  law  of  Congress.  It  is  where 
these  provisions  leave  off  that  the  jurisdiction  of  this  House 
commences,  with  power  to  judge,  First,  of  the  election  itself ; 
that  is,  whether  the  election  has  been  holden  at  the  time,  place, 
and  in  the  manner  prescribed  by  the  State  Legislature,  or  law  of 
Congress,  as  the  case  may  be ;  such  regulation  of  the  State 
Legislature,  or  law  of  Congress,  constituting  the  rule  by  which 
the  House  is  bound  to  judge.  Secondly,  of  the  qualifications. 
The  qualifications  of  a  Representative  are  designated  in  the  Con 
stitution  itself,  and  the  jurisdiction  of  the  House  over  this 
subject  empowers  it  to  decide  whether  the  persons  elected 
possess  the  qualifications  required  by  the  Constitution,  but  gives 
no  authority  to  add  to  or  diminish  the  constitutional  requisitions. 
Thirdly,  of  the  returns.  Here  the  House  has  a  broad  j  urisdiction, 
to  judge  of  the  actual  result  of  an  election,  and  of  all  the  various 
modes  by  which  that  result  is  ascertained. 

In  regard  to  the  extent  of  the  judicial  power  of  the  House,  we 
may  read  an  instructive  lesson  from  the  history  of  the  British 
Parliament.  The  House  of  Commons  had  claimed  from  time 
immemorial,  as  one 'of  its  privileges,  and  a  right  inherent  in  its 
very  constitution,  the  judicial  power  of  deciding  upon  the  elec 
tion,  qualifications,  and  returns  of  its  members.  In  the  exercise 
of  this  acknowledged  jurisdiction,  it  undertook,  in  the  case  of  the 
Middlesex  election,  to  decide  that  the  expulsion  of  a  member 
constituted  disqualification,  in  derogation  of  the  law  under  which 
expulsion  did  not  constitute  disqualification.  In  pursuance  of 
this  decision,  John  Wilkes,  who  had  been  previously  expelled, 
was  adjudged  incompetent  to  sit  for  the  county  of  Middlesex, 
though  elected  by  an  overwhelming  majority  ;  and  Mr.  Luttrell, 
who  had  received  a  small  vote,  was  declared  duly  elected. 
Upon  this  arose  one  of  the  most  violent  civil  contests  on  record ; 
the  People,  justly  alarmed  at  the  arbitrary  decision  of  the  House 
of  Commons,  declared  it  to  be  a  palpable  violation  of  the  Con 
stitution,  and  a  dangerous  infringement  of  the  popular  rights ; 
they  denied  the  power  ol  the  House  to  decide  in  cases  of  election, 


282  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PREN?IS3. 

contrary  to  law,  and  denounced  the  claim  of  the  House  to  ua 
exclusive  judicial  power,  final  and  conclusive  over  the  whole 
subject  of  election,  as  fatal  to  the  liberties  of  the  country.  The 
whole  nation  became  aroused,  and  for  fourteen  years  the 
indomitable  spirit  of  British  freemen  waged  continual  war  on 
this  subject,  against  a  determined  administration  and  an  obsti 
nate  House  of  Oommoes.  Popular  right  at  length  prevailed 
over  legislative  usurpation,  and  was  only  satisfied  by  the  utter 
expunction  from  the  journals  of  the  obnoxious  decision  of  the 
House. 

This  very  power  of  altering  or  setting  aside  the  State  regula 
tions  is,  by  the  Constitution,  reserved  to  Congress  alone,  to 
exercise  by  law.  If  the  decision  of  this  House  is  of  sufficient 
force  to  overturn  the  legislative  action  of  the  State,  then  this 
House  possesses,  judicially,  the  same  power  of  repealing  and 
annulling  the  action  of  the  State  legislatures,  which  was  mani 
festly  intended  to  be  entrusted  only  to  the  joint  action  of  Con 
gress  and  the  Executive,  and  entrusted,  too,  with  a  degree  of 
jealousy  and  misgiving  on  the  part  of  the  States,  as  I  shall 
hereafter  show,  unequalled  in  the  delegation  of  any  other  power. 

I  shall  not,  at  this  moment,  go  into  the  argument  upon  the 
constitutionality  of  the  law  of  the  State  of  Mississippi,  fixing 
the  time  for  the  general  election  of  her  representatives  to  Con 
gress.  This  belongs  to  future  consideration.  At  present,  I  claim 
the  conclusion  that,  if  such  law  is  constitutional,  this  House  had 
no  constitutional  power,  either  legislative  or  judicial,  to  annul 
it;  and  that  the  adjudication  of  this  House  under  discussion,  so 
far  as  it  does  infringe  upon  such  constitutional  State  action,  it 
void. 

I  come  now  to  the  fourth  position,  that  said  pretended  a(]j» 
dication  is  not  conclusive  upon  the  State  of  Mississippi,  inasmuc> 
as  she  was  not  a  party  to  the  proceeding  upon  which  it  wg< 
based,  and  had  no  notice  thereof,  either  actual  or  constructive.' 

The  general  principle  of  law  is,  that  the  judgment  of  a  con?* 
of  competent  jurisdiction  is  binding  upon  the  parties  only.  Aftei 
the  parties  to  a  controversy  have  been  heard,  or  have  had  a» 
opportunity  of  being  heard,  it  is  both  just  and  proper  that  litig* 


SPEECH.  283 

tion  should  cease,  and  the  decision  be  final.  The  pullic  good 
requires  it.  Interest  reipublica  ut  sit  finis  litium.  The  general 
rule  is  based  upon  abstract  justice  and  public  policy,  both  of 
which  would  be  violated  by  its  application  to  the  present  case. 
The  State  of  Mississippi  was  not  a  party  to  the  proceeding  at  the 
special  session. 

It  is  contended,  I  know,  that  she  was  substantially  a  party, 
and  that  she  was  present  and  heard  in  the  matter,  through  her 
agents  and  attorneys,  Messrs.  Claiborne  and  Gholson  ;  but  this  is 
a  clear  begging  of  the  question.  Mississippi  denies  that  these 
gentlemen  were  her  agents  tor  the  purpose  of  claiming  seats  in 
the  twenty-fifth  Congress.  They  produced  no  power  of  attorney 
from  her,  authorizing  them  to  act  for  her  in  this  behalf.  The 
power  of  attorney  which  they  received  from  the  State  author 
ized  them  to  act  as  her  agents  in  chaining  seats  at  the  special 
session  only.  This  power  of  attorney  was  suppressed,  and  evi 
dence  given  which  deceived  at  least  a  portion  of  the  House  into 
the  belief  that  the  People  of  Mississippi  had  chosen  these  gentle 
men  as  their  agents  for  two  years.  All  that  Mississippi  asks  now 
is  the  right  of  showing  that  Messrs.  Claiborne  and  Gholson  never 
were  her  agents  to  the  twenty-fifth  Congress.  If  she  can  show 
this,  surely  no  one  will  pretend  that  she  is  bound  by  the  acts  of 
pseudo-agents.  This  question  of  agency,  which  gentlemen  so 
cavalierly  take  for  granted,  is  the  very  gist  of  the  controversy — 
the  very  matter  of  dispute.  But  the  petitio  principii  is  an 
exceedingly  convenient  mode  of  argument  in  a  bad  cause ;  and 
it  is  an  excellent  and  ingenious  practice  to  assume  what  you  can 
not  prove. 

The  only  parties  before  the  House  at  the  last  session  were 
Messrs.  Claiborne  and  Gholson.  Now  if,  in  the  action  taken  bv 
them  in  obtaining  the  decision  of  the  House,  they  were  not  the 
agents  of  Mississippi,  but  had  transcended  the  authority  dele 
gated  to  them,  then  it  follows  that  Mississippi  was  not  directly 
or  indirectly,  in  point  of  fact,  or  in  legal  contemplation,  a  party 
to  the  proceeding.  That  she  had  notice,  ei. her  actual  or  con 
structive,  no  one  pretends.  I  take  it,  then,  to  be  clear  that  if 
she  can  show  that  Messrs.  Claiborne  and  Gholson  exceeded  the 


28-4  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PREXTISS. 

authority  delegated  to  them  in  claiming  seats  for  the  whola 
term  of  the  twenty-fifth  Congress,  she  can  neither  bo  considered 
a  party  to,  nor  bound  by,  such  unauthorized  action  on  their  part. 
I  come  now  to  the  fifth  and  last  branch  of  this  subject,  viz. 
"that  said  pretended  adjudication  was  founded  upon  palpable 
mistake,  and  that  this  House  is  bound  to  review  it."  All  courts, 
both  of  law  and  equity,  review  their  decisions  when  they  appear 
to  have  been  based  upon  palpable  mistake:  courts  of  law,  by 
new  trials  and  writs  of  error  coram  nobis ;  courts  of  equity,  by 
bills  of  review.  And  it  would  be  strange  indeed,  M'hen  wrong 
is  done  through  mistake,  if  there  existed  no  power  to  rectify  it. 
The  mistake  under  which  the  House  labored  at  the  special  ses 
sion  arose  from  its  belief  that  the  People  of  Mississippi  voted 
for  Messrs.  Olaiborne  and  Gholson  as  representatives  to  the 
twenty-fifth  Congress,  and  intended  to  elect  them  for  the  whole 
term.  In  proof  of  this,  I  refer  to  the  speech  of  an  honorable 
gentleman  from  Maryland  (Mr.  Howard),  in  which  he  bases  a 
large  portion  of  his  argument  and  opinion  in  favor  of  the  sitting 
members  upon  this  supposed  intention  of  the  People;  in  proof 
of  the  existence  of  which  he  expressly  says,  "  that  they  had  the 
positive  testimony  of  the  sitting  members  in  the  shape  of  state 
ments  made  in  their  places;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  the  only 
evidence  adduced  to  repudiate  such  statements  was  the  procla 
mation  of  the  Governor,  which,  it  was  contended,  constituted 
no  evidence  of  tin.-  intention  with  which  the  people  acted  in  the 
election  held  under  its  mandate."  I  have  been  told,  also,  by 
many  honorable  gentlemen,  that  they  labored  under  the  same 
apprehension,  derived  from  the  same  source.  Now,  was  the 
term  for  which  the  People  intended  to  elect,  and  did  really 
elect,  in  July,  a  material  fact;  and,  if  so,  did  the  House  labor 
under  a  mistake  in  relation  to  this  fact;  and  was  the  decision, 
in  any  sort,  based  upon  such  mistake?  It  seems  to  me,  from 
the  very  nature  of  representation,  that  the  intention  of  the  Peo 
ple  constitutes  the  most  material  subject  of  inquiry  in  the  inves 
tigation.  Election  is  choice,  and  choice  cannot  exist  without  in 
tention,  which  is  the  very  soul  and  life  of  the  whole  matter.  x\n 
election  is,  in  fact,  nothing  more,  in  all  its  forms,  than  a  mode  of 


SPEECH.  385 

ascertaining  the  intention  of  the  electors.  When,  therefore,  that 
intention  is  fully  and  legitimately  ascertained,  the  election  can 
not  be  construed  as  extending  beyond  the  intent  and  object  of 
the  electors;  in  other  words,  the  act  should  not  be  construed 
beyond  the  will  of  the  actors.  If,  then,  the  People  of  Missis 
sippi  did,  in  July  last,  intend  to  elect  representatives  for  three 
months  only,  and  did,  in  point  of  fact,  vote  for  the  purpose  of 
filling  that  period  of  time  alone,  is  it  not  an  absurdity  and  a 
falsehood  to  assert  that  such  election  was  for  two  years?  It 
does  not  affect  the  matter  at  all  to  say  that  they  had  no  right  to 
elect  for  three  months,  but  had  a  right  to  elect  for  two  years. 
The  only  result  of  such  a  proposition  would  be,  that  the  election 
was  void,  inasmuch  as  the:  people  had  attempted  to  do  what  the 
Constitution  did  not  authorize  them  to  do.  It  seems  to  me  that 
no  proposition  can  be  clearer  than  this — that  an  unconstitu 
tional  election  for  three  months  cannot  be  considered  a  constitu 
tional  election  for  two  years.  To  those  members,  then,  who 
believed  that  the  People  of  Mississippi  had  a  right,  in  July,  to 
elect  representatives  to  the  whole  of  the  twenty-fifth  Congress, 
the  question  certainly  must  be  a  material  one,  whether  they  did, 
in  point  of  fact,  do  it.  The  House  was  made  to  believe  that  this 
was  the  intention  of  the  people,  and  many  eloquent  appeals 
were  made  upon  this  floor,  and  with  great  effect,  as  I  am  told, 
against  too  strict  and  technical  a  construction  of  the  Constitu 
tion;  which,  it  was  asserted,  would  violate  the  acknowledged 
will  and  intention  of  the  people.  I  trust,  sir,  that  the  same 
tender  regard  for  the  will  of  the  People  of  Mississippi  which 
pervaded  the  House  at  the  last  session,  will  continue  to  influence 
it  at  the  present. 

But  was  the  House  mistaken  in  the  view  taken  of  the  intent 
and  object  of  the  People  of  Mississippi  at  the  July  election  ?  Of 
this  there  cannot  exist  the  slightest  doubt  upon  the  mind  of  any 
candid  man.  I  hare  traversed  almost  the  entire  State  since  the 
July  election,  and  mingled  freely  with  n  en  of  all  political  parties  ; 
and  I  assert,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  without  hesitation  or  fear  of 
contradiction,  that  the  electors  who  voted  in  July  did  not  vote 
or  intend  to  elect  for  a  longer  period  than  what  intervened 


286  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

between  that  time  and  the  regular  election  in  November.  No, 
sir  ;  if  the  gentlemen  and  all  their  party  could  be  saved,  like  tin 
wicked  cities  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  by  the  production  of  ten 
righteous  men,  of  any  political  creed,  in  the  State  of  Mississippi, 
who  would  certify  that  the  election  in  July  was  intended,  or 
holden  for  a  longer  period,  still  they  would  not  be  able  to  avert 
the  destruction  which  is  ready  to  fall,  like  a  consuming  fire, 
upon  their  heads.  But  I  wish  not  to  rest  upon  my  own  asser 
tion  only,  notwithstanding  opportunity  has  afforded  me  the 
means  of  deriving  my  information  in  the  matter  from  the  best 
possible  source — the  People  themselves. 

What  is  the  evidence  before  the  House  of  the  extent  and 
object  of  the  July  election  ?  First  is  the  proclamation  of  the 
Governor,  ordering  the  election  for  Representatives  to  fill  the 
vacancy,  "  until  superseded  by  the  members  to  be  elected  at  the 
regular  November  election.1' 

It  is  admitted  on  all  hands,  that  the  Governor  only  intended 
to  order  an  election  to  the  called  session  of  Congress;  and  that 
upon  the  face  of  the  writ,  an  election  is  literally  ordered  only 
for  that  portion  of  the  term  anterior  to  the  general  election.  So 
far,  then,  as  the  Executive  action  is  concerned,  the  intention  is 
conceded  to  have  been  in  accordance  with  the  terms  in  which  it 
was  expressed.  Now,  did  the  People  vote  in  obedience  to  the 
whole  writ,  or  did  they  select  a  portion  of  it  as  a  legitimate 
mandate,  and  reject  the  remainder?  In  other  words,  did  the 
people  consider  a  portion  of  the  writ  surplusage,  or  did  they  act 
under  it  according  to  its  admitted  terms  and  meaning?  In 
proof  that  they  acted  according  to  the  whole  command  of  the 
writ,  and  elected  only  for  that  portion  of  the  term  therein  spe 
cified,  we  have  the  evidence  of  two  principal  officers  of  the 
State,  of  opposite  political  sentiments,  acting  in  obedience  to 
the  law  of  the  State,  under  the  responsibility  of  an  oath,  and 
both  liable  to  impeachment,  if  they  have  officially  asserted  a 
falsehood.  The  law  of  the  State  requires  that,  after  an  election 
tor  Congress,  the  Secretary  of  State  shall  sum  up  the  votes 
returned,  and  declare  by  publication  the  result  of  the  election. 
In  this  instance  he  performed  his  duty,  and  declared  Messrs. 


SPEECH.  287 

Claiborne  and  Gholson  duly  elected  to  "  the  called  session  01 
Congress."  This  was  an  official  act  of  the  Secretary  of  State, 
who  was,  be  it  known,  a  political  friend  of  the  members  elect, 
and  therefore  cannot  be  supposed  to  have  been  actuated  bv  any 
inclination  unfavorable  to  their  claims.  The  law  of  the  State 
further  requires  that,  upon  such  publication  being  made,  the 
Governor  shall  issue  proper  credentials  to  the  persons  elected, 
&c. 

The  Governor  did  issue  such  credentials,  in  which  he  asserted 
the  fact,  that  Messrs.  Claiborne  and  Gholson  had  been  elected 
only  for  that  portion  of  time  anterior  to  the  November  election. 
These  two  official  assertions  of  the  highest  functionaries  of  the 
State,  in  relation  to  the  extent  of  the  July  election,  are  certainly 
entitled  to  some  weight,  at  least  until  controverted;  for,  how 
can  the  intention  of  the  people  be  better  ascertained,  than 
through  the  very  channels  provided  by  their  laws  as  tho 
medium  of  its  communication  ? 

But  this  is  not  all  the  evidence.  Thirty  days  before  the 
November  election,  the  same  sheriffs  who  had  executed  the 
Governor's  writ,  notified  the  people,  according  to  law,  that 
an  election  would  be  holden  on  the  first  Monday  and  day 
following  in  November,  for  Representatives  to  Congress ;  thus 
positively  repudiating  the  supposition  that  the  Section  which 
they  had  superintended  in  July  was  intended  to  fill  the  whole 
term.  Here,  then,  is  the  evidence  of  more  than  fifty  State 
officers,  acting  under  oath,  and  asserting  that  the  July  election 
was  not  intended  to  supersede  the  November  election.  Again, 
at  the  November  election,  about  20,000  electors,  a  larger  number 
than  had  ever  before  voted  in  the  State,  came  forward  and 
asserted  at  the  polls  that  the  July  election  \vas  not  intended  to 
supersede  the  November  election.  Thus,  we  have  on  one  side 
the  united  testimony  of  the  Governor,  the  Secretary  of  State, 
fifty-one  sheriffs,  and  20,000  electors.  And  what  have  we  on 
the  other  side  to  counterbalance  this  great  mass  of  evidence? 
The  unassisted  and  unsupported  verbal  statements  of  the  sitting 
members.  The  House  was  not  only  mistaken,  but  deceived  ;  for 
the  proper  credentials  issued  by  the  Governor,  though  in  the 


288  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PREXTISS. 

possession  of  one  of  the  gentlemen,  were  suppressed,  and  ne^ei 
produced  either  before  the  House  or  the  committee.  The  evi 
dence  of  their  right,  as  appears  from  the  last  report  of  the  com 
mittee,  consisted  of  a  printed  statement  of  the  vote  in  the 
several  counties,  certified  to  be  correct,  but  without  date,  or  any 
designation  whatever  of  the  time,  place,  or  result  of  the  election 
to  which  it  professed  to  relate — a  sort  of  floating  claim,  which 
will  be  as  good  evidence  of  right  to  a  seat  ten  years  hence  as  it 
was  at  the  special  session.  Sir,  I  do  not  make  the  grave  charge 
of  a  suppression  of  evidence,  in  the  ex  parte  examination  which 
this  matter  underwent  on  a  former  occasion,  without  ample 
reason.  Indeed,  one  of  the  gentlemen  not  only  openly  admits 
the  suppression,  but  with  a  boldness  which  seems  to  indicate  a 
total  want  of  sensibility  as  to  the  impropriety  of  his  course, 
avows  that  the  reason  why  the  proper  and  legal  credentials 
were  not  produced  arose  from  the  fact  that  they  limited  his 
term  of  service  to  the  special  session. 

The  following  is  the  bold  avowal  made  by  Mr.  Claiborne  in 
his  written  speech,  which  has  had  the  peculiar  good  fortune  to  be 
placed  upon  the  records  of  this  house :  u  The  ordinary  certifi 
cate  of  election,  or  credentials,  were  forwarded  to  my  colleague, 
but  never  received  by  him.  Those  sent  to  me  were  received : 
lut  perceiving  that  they  contained  the  limitation  of  the  term  of 
service  mentioned  in  the  Governer's  writ  to  hold  the  election, 
we  applied  for  and  obtained  the  statement  from  the  Secretary 
of  State,  to  ~be  used  in  their  stead."  It  thus  appears  that  the 
regular  and  official  evidence  of  the  gentlemen's  right  to  seats 
was  kept  back,  and  spurious,  secondary,  and  partial  evidence, 
unknown  to  the  law  of  the  land,  introduced  in  its  stead,  upon 
the  express  ground  that  the  primary  and  legitimate  evidence  did 
not  sustain  their  claim  to  seats  in  the  twenty-fifth  Congress.  It 
is  but  justice,  however,  to  Mr.  C.  to  say,  that  he  charges  the 
committee  with  the  whole  odium  of  the  concealment ;  for  he 
says  in  continuation  of  the  remarks  above  quoted,  "  All  this  was 
distinctly  stated  by  us  to  the  Committee  of  Elections  in  Septem 
ber  last.1'  But  the  Committee  of  Elections  did  not  see  fit  to 
communicate  to  the  House  this  important  fact  in  relation  to  the 


SPEECH.  289 

very  certificate  upon  which  they  were  instructed  to  report. 
Knowing,  according  to  the  statement  of  Mr.  C.,  that  a  certifi 
cate  of  election  was  in  existence,  but  kept  back,  solely  on 
account  of  its  insufficiency  to  sustain  the  claim  set  up  by  the 
gentlemen  possessing  it,  the  committee,  in  palpable  violation  of 
the  instructions  of  the  House,  neither  compel  its  production,  nor 
take  notice  of  its  existence  ;  but  make  a  report  favorable  to  the 
claimants,  based  upon  partial  and  secondary  evidence,  avowedly 
obtained  for  the  express  purpose  of  avoiding  the  effect  and 
operation  of  the  certificate  of  election. 

The  committee  have  not  denied  the  assertion  of  Mr.  C.,  that 
he  informed  them  of  these  facts.  Possessing  this  information, 
I  know  not  how  they  could  reconcile  it  with  their  consciences 
to  conceal  it  from  the  House.  However,  it  is  with  the  facts  and 
not  with  the  consciences  of  the  committee  that  my  business 
lies.  The  facts  which  I  have  stated  are  now  uncontro verted.  I 
leave  them  without  comment  to  the  judgment  of  the  House, 
with  this  single  question.  Were  not  many  honorable  genilemen 
deceived  and  mistaken  as  to  the  intention  and  extent  of  the 
July  election.  And  did  they  not  consider  that  intention  a 
material  fact  in  arriving  at  a  conclusion  favorable  to  the  claim 
of  the  sitting  members  ? 

In  conclusion  of  this  branch  of  my  argument,  I  have  only  to 
say,  that  I  have  looked  and  listened  in  vain  for  the  reason  and 
authority  upon  which  to  sustain  the  assumption  taken  by  my 
opponents,  that  this  House  cannot  review  or  reverse  its  previous 
decision. 

Let  us  examine  the  position  a  moment.  By  what  rule  is  this 
House  imperatively  governed  and  bound  in  its  own  proceedings? 
First,  by  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  and  the  laws 
passed  in  pursuance  thereof;  and,  secondly,  by  the  regulations 
adopted  for  its  own  government,  so  long  as  these  regulations 
remain  unrescinded.  It  is  bound  no  further.  The  rules  of  pro 
ceeding  in  courts  of  justice  are  of  no  force  in  this  Hall  beyond 
what  propriety  and  a  sense  of  justice  may  warrant.  There  is  no 
provision  in  the  Constitution,  the  laws,  or  the  regulations  adopted 
by  this  House,  which  forbids  a  review  and  reversal  of  the  de- 

13 


290  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

cision  of  the  last  session.  The  analogies,  drawn  from  the  courts 
of  law,  address  themselves  only  to  the  propriety  and  not  to  the 
right  of  this  House.  From  the  technical  arguments,  so  elabor 
ately  deduced  from  that  source,  one  would  rather  suppose  this 
was  a  county  court,  than  the  high  court  of  parliament. 

It  would  be  strange,  indeed,  if  the  American  Congress  was  the 
only  body  in  which  wrong  once  committed  is  incapable  of  repar 
ation,  and  error  hardened  into  a  judicial  decision,  becomes 
impervious  to  truth. 

The  House  has,  by  referring  the  subject  to  a  committee, 
acknowledged  jurisdiction  over  it,  and  has  thereby  decided  the 
matter  to  be  still  within  its  control:  for  it  would  be  a  mockery, 
after  having  proceeded  for  weeks,  through  its  committee,  in  the 
investigation,  now  to  say  that  it  has  the  power  to  examine,  but 
not  the  power  to  conclude  ;  the  power  to  hear,  but  not  the 
power  to  judge. 

I  have  thus,  Mr.  Speaker,  endeavored  to  show,  not  only  that 
this  House  has  the  power  to  review  its  former  decision,  but  that 
justice  requires  it  to  exercise  that  power.  I  have  attempted  to 
clear  the  way  to  the  examination  of  the  great  constitutional 
question  involved,  and  trust  my  labor  has  not  been  entirely 
without  success.  Upon  the  supposition  that  the  House  will 
come  to  the  conclusion  that,  if  wrong  has  been  done,  no  princi 
ple  stands  in  the  way  of  its  reparation,  I  shall  proceed  to  the 
examination  of  the  propositions  laid  down  in  the  early  part  of 
my  argument.  And,  first,  that  the  election  of  Messrs.  Claiborne 
and  Gholson,  in  July  last,  was  unconstitutional,  null,  and  void. 

The  election  was  holden  in  July,  by  virtue  of  the  proclamation 
of  the  State  Executive.  Two  questions  arise:  First.  Had  the 
Governor  of  Mississippi  constitutional  power  to  order  at  that 
time  an  election  for  Representatives  to  the  Twenty-fifth  Con 
gress?  Second.  Did  he  exercise  the  power?  First.  Had  he  the 
power?  He  had  it  not  by  virtue  of  any  provision  in  the  Con 
stitution  or  laws  of  the  State.  All  his  authority  over  the  subject 
of  election  of  Representatives  to  Congress  is  derived  from  the 
Constitution  of  the  United  States,  and  is  embraced  in  the  follow 
ing  clause,  Art.  I.,  sec.  2:  "When  vacancies  happen  in  the 


SPEECH.  291 

representation  from  any  State,  the  Executive  authority  thereof 
shall  issue  writs  of  election  to  fill  such  vacancies.".  Upon  the 
construction  of  this  clause  the  whole  controversy  as  to  the  first 
point  hinges.  Let  us,  then,  endeavor  to  ascertain  what  the 
framers  of  the  Constitution  meant  by  a  "  vacancy  in  the  repre 
sentation  from  a  State." 

The  best  rule  of  interpretation  is  to  ascertain,  if  practicable, 
the  intent  and  object  of  the  law-giver,  and  then  so  construe  the 
words  as  to  cover  the  intent  and  attain  the  object.  This  intent 
may  be  best  ascertained  by  a  consideration  of  the  necessity 
which  gave  rise  to  the  provision.  The  framers  of  the  Constitu 
tion,  in  prescribing  the  general  modes  through  which  the  right 
of  representation  should  be  exercised,  very  Avisely  concluded  that 
the  regulation  of  this  most  important  of  all  political  rights  should 
be  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  Legislatures  of  the  States  respec 
tively,  as  the  safest  depositories  of  so  important  a  trust.  Accord 
ingly  they  provided,  by  the  fourth  section  of  the  first  article, 
that  uthe  times,  places,  and  manner  of  holding  elections  for 
Senators  and  Representatives  shall  be  prescribed  in  each  State 
by  the  Legislature  thereof;  but  the  Congress  may  at  any  time 
by  law  make  or  alter  such  regulations,  except  as  to  the  place  of 
choosing  Senators." 

Here  the  power  of  prescribing  the  time,  place,  and  manner  of 
holding  elections  for  Representatives  is  not  given  to  the  State 
Executive  in  any  contingency,  but  to  the  State  Legislature,  sub 
ject  to  no  paramount  authority  except  a  law  of  Congress.  But 
if  the  Constitution  had  stopped  here,  it  would  have  been  de 
fective;  for  though  the  State  Legislatures,  knowing  when  the 
regular  term  would  expire,  could  regulate  the  time,  place,  and 
manner  of  elections  to  fill  the  term,  yet  they  could  not  foresee 
and  provide  for  vacancies  which  might  happen  in  the  representa 
tion  after  the  term  is  filled.  The  regular  vacancies  which  must 
occur  in  the  office  biennially  and  at  stated  periods  could  of  course 
be  foreseen  and  provided  for  by  legislative  action.  The  power 
to  provide  for  the  filling  of  these  periodical  vacancies,  in  the 
office  of  Representative,  was  clearly  placed  with  the  State  Legis 
latures,  subject  to  tho  control  of  Congress.  B.ut  inasmuch  as 


292  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTIS3. 

vacancies  might  happen  in.  the  representation  from  a 
chosen  according  to  law  to  fil'i  the  term — by  contingencies  of 
various  sorts,  such  as  death,  resignation,  &c.,  and  inasmuch  as 
the  State  Legislature,  not  being  always  in  session,  could  not  con 
veniently  provide  for  or  act  upon  such  unforeseen  contingencies, 
it  was  thought  proper  to  make  it  the  duty  of  the  State  Executive 
to  notify  the  people,  and  direct  an  election  to  be  held  when  such 
an  event  occurred.  For  though  the  people  know,  by  the  general 
election  law,  when  they  shall  convene  and  elect  their  Repre 
sentatives  for  each  Congress,  yet,  having  once  elected  them,  they 
cannot  be  supposed  to  know  when  a  vacancy  happens  in  such 
representation,  neither  can  any  law  notify  them.  It  is  therefore 
rendered  the  duty  of  the  Executive  to  issue  his  writ  for  the  pur 
pose  of  informing  them  that  a  vacancy  has  happened.  This  of 
itself  shows  that  it  was  not  intended  to  give  the  Executive  the 
power  to  order  an  election  to  fill  the  regular  periodical  vacancies 
which  constitutionally  occur  every  two  years  in  the  office  of 
Representative,  but  only  such  vacancies  as  "happen  in  the 
representation  from  a  State,"  after  such  a  representation  has 
been  created  under  the  general  election  law;  for  if  so,  what 
necessity  for  a  writ  to  notify  the  people  of  that  of  which,  by  the 
Constitution,  they  are  already  apprised  ?  The  terms  of  the  Con 
stitution,  which  clothe  the  Executive  with  all  the  power  which 
he  possesses  on  this  subject,  are  peculiar,  and  have  never  before 
formed  the  subject  of  direct  decision.  The  phraseology  differs 
remarkably  from  that  used  in  relation  to  senatorial  vacancies,  to 
be  provided  for  by  Executive  appointment.  The  language  in  the 
latter  case  is :  "  And  if  vacancies  happen  by  resignation  or  other 
wise,  during  the  recess  of  the  Legislature  of  any  State,  the  Exe 
cutive  thereof  may  make  temporary  appointments,  until  the  next 
meeting  of  the  Legislature,  which  shall  then  fill  such  vacancies." 
Here  the  term  vacancy  is  generally  used,  and  might,  with  some 
show  of  propriety,  perhaps,  be  applied  to  the  office  itself.  But 
not  so  in  relation  to  the  provision  under  discussion;  the  term 
vacancy,  in  this  case,  applies  not  to  the  office,  but  to  the  repre 
sentation.  It  is  not,  "  when  a  vacancy  happens,"  nor,  u  when  a 
vacancy  happens  in  the  office  of  representative;"  but,  "when 


SPEECH.  293 

vacancies  happen  in  the  representation  from  any  State,  the  Execu 
tive  authority  shall,"  &c.  Now,  I  hold  that  the  office  is  one  thing, 
and  the  representation,  which  exercises  or  fills  the  office,  an 
other ;  and  that,  though  there  cannot  be  a  vacancy  in  the  repre 
sentation  without  a  vacancy  in  the  office,  yet  there  may  be  a 
vacancy  in  the  office  without  a  vacancy  in  the  representation. 
The  representation  from  a  State  consists  of  the  persons  chosen 
to  fill  the  representative  offices  of  that  State. 

This  representation  expires  or  goes  out  of  office  on  the  3d  of 
March  biennially,  by  constitutional  limitation;  at  least  such  is 
the  construction  which  has  always  been  recognized  by  the  Gov 
ernment.  Messrs.  Claiborne  and  Gholson  constituted  the  re 
presentation  from  the  State  of  Mississippi  in  the  24th  Congress. 
Their  term  of  service  and  the  24th  Congress  both  expired  on  the 
3d  of  March  last  In  July  the  Governor  issued  his  writ  to  fill 
vacancies  in  the  representation  from  the  State  to  the  25th  Con 
gress  ;  but  there  had  never  been  any  representation  from  the 
State  to  the  25th  Congress.  How,  then,  could  there  have  been 
a  vacancy  in  what  had  never  existed  ;  in  other  words,  how  could 
there  be  a  vacancy  in  a  vacancy?  There  was,  when  the  Gov 
ernor  issued  his  writ,  and  ever  had  been,  not  vacancies  in  the 
representation  from  the  State,  but  a  total  vacancy  of  representa 
tion  to  the  25th  Congress. 

"Whatever  may  be  the  correctness  of  my  views  upon  this 
point,  no  one  will  deny  that  the  language,  spirit,  and  intent  of 
the  Constitution  combine  to  place,  as  far  as  practicable,  the 
matter  of  elections  for  Representatives  and  Senators  under 
the  control  of  the  State  Legislatures,  and  not  under  the 
control  of  the  State  Executives.  The  power  of  the  State 
Executive  was  manifestly  intended  to  complete  and  perfect  the 
system,  by  embracing  that  portion  of  the  subject  upon  which 
legislative  action  would  be  inconvenient  or  impracticable. 
Indeed,  so  vitally  important  was  it  considered  to  the  indepen 
dence  of  the  States  that  the  legislation  should  be  entirely 
untrammelled  in  prescribing  the  time,  place,  and  manner  of 
elections,  that  it  was  with  great  difficulty  that  the  States  were 
persuaded  to  acquiesce  in  the  controlling  power  given  to  Con- 


294  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

gress  to  make  or  alter  by  law  the  State  regulations.  If  you  will 
look,  sir,  into  the  debates  in  the  different  conventions  upon  the 
adoption  of  the  Federal  Constitution,  you  will  find  that  no  pro 
vision  was  more  debated  or  received  with  greater  jealousy.  All 
the  States  took  the  ground  that  the  most  important  of  their 
political  powers  consisted  in  the  control,  through  their  Legisla 
tures,  over  the  time,  places,  and  manner  of  election  ;  and  the 
ultimate  supervisory  power  was  reluctantly  placed  with  Con 
gress,  upon  the  express  ground  that  it  was  necessary  for  the 
preservation  of  the  Government ;  that,  without  this  provision, 
the  States  might  neglect  to  make  any  regulations  on  the 
subject,  or  might  fix  the  times  of  election  at  such  periods  as  to 
prevent  a  representation,  and  thereby  cause  a  dissolution  of  the 
Government.  It  was  admitted  in  all  the  debates  that  this 
power  of  providing  for  a  deficiency  or  failure  of  action  on  the 
part  of  the  State  Legislatures  did  not  and  could  not  with  pro 
priety  reside  anywhere  else  than  in  Congress.  Still  the  States 
were  so  jealous  on  this  subject  that  most  of  them  accompanied 
their  ratifications  of  the  Constitution  with  a  solemn  protest 
against  the  exercise  by  Congress  of  this  power,  except  in  cases 
of  failure  or  neglect  on  the  part  of  the  State  Legislatures  ;  and 
also  with  standing  instructions  to  their  delegates,  in  all  future 
time,  to  obtain,  as  early  as  practicable,  an  amendment  of  the 
Constitution,  limiting  the  action  of  Congress  on  this  matter  to 
such  cases  of  neglect  and  failure  only.  The  ratifications  of 
South  Carolina,  North  Carolina,  Virginia,  Pennsylvania,  New- 
York,  Rhode  Island,  and  Massachusetts,  if  not  others,  contain 
such  protests  and  instructions. 

In  all  the  commentaries  upon  this  provision  of  the  Constitu 
tion  ;  in  the  able  essays  of  the  Federalist;  in  the  interpretations 
of  that  eminent  jurist,  Judge  Story ;  in  the  legislative  con 
structions  of  all  the  States,  it  has  been  considered  as  well 
settled  as  any  other  principle  of  the  Government,  that  the 
power  to  provide  for  any  failure,  or  neglect,  or  improper  regula 
tion  on  the  part  of  the  State  Legislatures  in  relation  to  the  time, 
places,  and  manner  of  election,  resides  nowhere  except  in  a  law 
of  Congress.  That  the  power  of  supplying  a  deficiency  of  legi» 


SPEECH.  295 

•ative  action  on  this  subject  exists,  as  has  been  advanced  in  this 
discussion,  in  the  governors  of  the  States,  is  a  doctrine  not  less 
novel  than  absurd.  The  second  section  of  the  first  article,  by 
which  such  power  is  supposed  to  be  conveyed,  was  deemed  so 
trifling  in  its  character,  and  so  incapable  of  misconstruction, 
that  it  was  never  once  alluded  to  in  the  debates  in  convention 
of  any  State,  nor  in  the  commentaries  of  any  writer.  It 
remained  for  the  boldness  of  the  present  day  to  assert  that  this 
clause  contains  the  great  conservative  principle,  the  self-pre 
serving  power,  which  the  foolish  framers  of  the  Constitution, 
and  the  blind  generations  which  came  after  them,  imagined  had 
been  embraced  in  the  fourth  section,  and  confined  in  its  exer 
cise  to  Congress  alone. 

The  whole  power  and  jurisdiction  over  the  subject  is,  by  the 
Constitution,  divided  between  the  State  Legislatures,  subject  to 
the  control  of  Congress  and  the  State  Executive.  Now,  there 
is  no  principle  of  our  Government  more  important  or  better 
settled  than  that  which  limits  the  exercise  of  a  power  to  the 
department  in  which  it  is  constitutionally  deposited.  It  is  this 
principle,  more  than  any  other,  that  constitutes  the  beauty  and 
safety  of  our  political  system.  The  executive  cannot  exercise 
legislative,  nor  the  legislative  executive  functions.  Whatever, 
then,  may  be  the  meaning  of  the  clause,  "when  vacancies  hap 
pen  in  the  representation  from  a  State,"  &c.,  it  is  clear  that  the 
power  and  jurisdiction  to  direct  elections  to  fill  such  vacancies 
belong  exclusively  to  the  Executive  authority  of  the  State.  No 
one,  I  imagine,  will  contend  that  the  Legislature  could  direct 
elections  to  fill  such  vacancies.  So,  on  the  other  hand,  it  will 
hardly  be  contended  that  the  Executive  can  exercise  the  legis 
lative  power  given  in  the  fourth  section  of  the  first  article. 
The  powers,  whatever  they  may  be,  are  distinct  and  inde 
pendent. 

I  have  attempted,  by  a  fair  construction  of  both  sections,  to 
Bhow  that  the  legislative  authority  embraced  the  general  election, 
and  prescribed  the  time,  place,  and  manner  of  the  election  to  fill 
the  term,  after  which  election  the  Executive  jurisdiction  at 
tached,  with  power  to  supply  all  vacancies  which  might  happeu 


2y6  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

in  the  representation  so  previously  elected.  This  construction 
prevents  the  executive  and  legislative  power  from  clashing,  ia 
consonant  with  reason  and  the  spirit  of  the  Constitution,  and  is 
based  upon  principles  which  have  been  repeatedly  recognized. 
The  case  of  John  Hoge,  page  135  Contested  Elections,  involved 
the  question  whether,  in  the  absence  of  any  legislation  on  the 
subject,  the  Governor  of  a  State  could,  when  a  vacancy  had  hap 
pened  in  the  representation  from  the  State,  not  only  issue  his 
writ,  but  fix  in  it  the  time  and  place  of  election.  It  was  decided 
that  he  could,  and  upon  the  express  ground  that  the  fourth  sec 
tion  of  the  first  article,  giving  the  Legislature  the  power  to  fix 
the  time,  place,  &c.,  applied  to  general  elections,  and  not  to  cases 
of  vacancies  which  might  happen,  and  that  the  power  given  in 
the  second  section  to  the  Executive  authority  was  an  exclusive, 
independent  power,  carrying  with  it  all  the  incidental  powers 
necessary  for  its  complete  exercise.  I  understand  it  to  be  ex 
pressly  recognized,  both  by  the  decision  and  the  arguments  in 
this  case,  that  the  executive  and  legislative  powers  over  elections 
are  distinct  and  independent,  and  not  concurrent ;  that  the  general 
election  law  of  a  State  has  no  application  to  such  cases  as  come 
within  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Executive,  but  that  the  Executive 
can,  in  such  cases,  act  without  any  regulation  or  law  whatever 
on  the  subject. 

The  case  of  Kensey  Johns  (Contested  Elections,  p.  874)  is  still 
more  in  point.  The  facts  were  these  :  Geo.  Read,  Senator  from 
Delaware,  resigned  his  seat  on  the  18th  September,  1793,  during 
the  recess  of  the  Legislature.  The  Legislature  met  in  January 
and  adjourned  in  February,  1794,  without  electing  a  Senator. 
On  the  19th  of  March,  after  said  adjournment,  Kensey  Johns 
was  appointed  by  the  Governor  to  fill  the  vacancy. 

Upon  this  state  of  facts,  the  committee  reported  the  following 
resolution,  which  was  adopted  by  a  vote  of  20  to  7 : 

"  Resolved,  That  Kensey  Johns,  appointed  by  the  Governor  of  the  State  of  Dela 
ware  as  a  Senator  of  the  United  States  for  said  State,  is  not  entitled  to  a  seat  in  the 
Senate  of  the  United  States,  a  session  of  the  Legislature  of  the  said  State  having 
intervened  between  the  resignation  :f  the  said  George  Read,  and  the  appointment 
of  the  said  Kensey  Johns." 

Now  this  case  was  decided  obviously  upon  the  principle  that 


SPEECH.  297 

after  tlie  jurisdiction  of  the  Legislature  attached,  the  Executive 
power  ceased  ;  and  that  the  failure  of  tbe  Legislature  to  exercise 
jurisdiction  and  perform  its  duty  did  not  re-invest  the  Executive 
with  any  authority  on  the  subject.  Yet,  after  the  adjournment 
of  the  Legislature,  there  was,  according  to  the  doctrines  of  my 
opponents,  a  vacancy,  which  had  happened,  \>y  the  failure  of  the 
Legislature  to  do  its  duty.  And  so  far  as  arguments  of  necessity, 
expediency,  or  convenience  were  concerned,  it  was  incumbent 
upon  the  Governor,  as  much  as  in  the  case  now  before  the  House, 
to  have  filled  the  vacancy.  From  the  decision  in  Kensey  Johns's 
case,  as  well  as  from  the  general  principles  of  law,  I  lay  down 
the  following  rule :  "  That  the  failure  of  one  department  of 
Government  to  exercise  a  constitutional  power  does  not  author 
ize  another  department  to  exercise  it  unless  such  authority  is 
expressly  delegated  to  the  Constitution." 

I  have  already  laid  down  the  rule  deduced  from  the  case  of 
Hoge:  "That  the  legislative  authority  to  fix  the  time,  place,  and 
manner  of  election,  &c.,  and  the  executive  authority  to  issue 
writs  to  fill  vacancies,  are  entirely  distinct;  in  other  words,  that 
the  second  and  fourth  sections  of  the  first  article  convey  sepa 
rate  and  independent,  and  not  concurrent  powers." 

Let  us  apply  these  rules  to  the  present  case.  And,  in  the  first 
place,  let  us  see  whether  the  legislature  of  the  State  of  Missis- 
sipp*  has,  by  any  law,  fixed  the  time,  place,  an^  manner  of  elec 
tion  for  representatives. 

The  general  election  law  of  that  State,  enacted  2d  March,  1833, 
prescribes  the  places  and  manner  of  all  elections,  and  expressly 
directs  that  the  election  of  representatives  to  Congress  shall  take 
place  on  the  1st  Monday  and  day  following  in  November  of 
every  second  year.  It  will  be  perceived  by  this  provision  that 
the  time  for  the  general  election  is  fixed  several  months  subse 
quent  to  the  expiration  of  the  previous  term.  Is  this  a  constitu 
tional  law?  In  other  words,  have  the  State  legislatures  the 
constitutional  power  to  fix  for  the  general  election  of  represen 
tatives  to  Congress  a  time  subsequent  to  the  expiration  of  the 
Congress  preceding  that  for  which  the  election  is  to  be  holden  ? 
Will  any  one  dare  to  say  they  have  not  the  constitutional  power  ? 

18* 


298  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTIoS. 

If  they  have  it  not,  what  will  become  of  the  delegations  from 
half  the  Stares  who  at  this  very  moment  hold  their  seats  by 
virtue  of  elections  holden  since  the  4th  of  March  last,  at  the 
times  prescribed  by  the  legislatures  of  their  respective  States  ? 
If  they  have  it  not,  what  Congress,  since  the  formation  of  the 
Government,  has  been  constitutionally  composed?  Sir,  if  this 
House  denies  the  power  of  the  legislature  of  Mississippi  in  fixing 
the  election  of  her  representatives  to  the  twenty-fifth  Congress, 
at  a  period  subsequent  to  the  expiration  of  the  twenty-fourth 
Congress,  then  are  one-half  its  members  bound  to  accompany 
me  out  of  this  Hall.  The  policy  of  late  elections  is  a  good  one, 
for  it  increases  the  accountability  of  the  representative  to  his 
constituents,  and  renders  him  more  amenable  to  their  judgment. 
Before  he  can  be  re-elected,  his  whole  course  is  subject  to  be 
canvassed,  and  at  the  bar  of  public  opinion  he  is  compelled  to 
answer  for  the  deeds  done  in  this  body.  Indeed,  so  favorably 
has  this  policy  been  viewed,  that  in  1825,  a  member  from  North 
Carolina  introduced  into  this  House  the  following  resolution : 
"Resolved,  That  a  committee  be  appointed  to  inquire  into  the 
propriety  of  altering  the  election  laws  of  the  several  States,  so 
as  to  provide  that  no  election  shall  take  place  for  members  of 
the  House  of  Representatives  of  the  United  States  until  the  term 
of  service  shall  have  expired  for  which  they  had  been  elected." 
This  resolution  was  referred  to  a  select  committee ;  and  though 
the  committee  afterwards  reported  that  it  was  inexpedient  at 
that  time  to  make  any  change  in  the  election  laws  of  the  several 
States,  yet  this  very  report  (at  a  time  when  so  many  States  pur 
sued  this  mode)  shows  that  such  election  laws  were  recognized 
as  constitutional  and*proper.  The  case  of  Herrick,  which  you 
will  find  among  your  contested  elections,  and  than  which  no 
case  of  the  sort  was  ever  more  ably  or  fully  discussed,  recognizes 
and  sustains  the  same  principle;  nor  can  a  case  or  an  authority 
be  found  to  repudiate  or  deny  it. 

The  only  limitation  to  this  power  of  the  legislature  is  con 
tained  in  the  first  section  of  the  first  article  of  the  Constitution, 
which  provides  that  representatives  shall  be  chosen  every  second 
I/ear.  If  the  law  of  Mississippi  does  not  violate  that  clause,  then 


SPEECH.  299 

Is  it  constitutional,  and  no  power  on  ea.-th,  except  the  power 
•which  made  it,  or  a  law  of  Congress,  can  abrogate  it.  Should 
the  legislature  of  any  State  refuse  to  appoint  a  time  for  election, 
or  appoint  it  at  an  improper  period,  then  it  would  doubtless  be 
the  duty  of  Congress  to  interfere,  and  by  its  paramount  authority 
regulate  the  matter.  Each  State  is  interested  in  being  duly 
represented  in  Congress,  and  that  interest  was  considered  sufficient 
to  warrant  a  ready  action,  on  the  part  of  their  legislatures,  in 
prescribing  a  proper  time,  place,  and  manner  of  election.  But 
inasmuch  as  it  also  interests  the  whole  nation,  that  every  State 
should  be  represented,  the  power  was  given  to  Congress  of  alter 
ing  the  State  regulation?,  or  making  new  ones,  should  necessity 
require  it.  To  have  placed  an  additional  control  over  the  State 
regulations  in  some  third  department,  would  have  been  absurd! 
and  unnecessary ;  for  Congress  is  surely  a  safe  and  ample  depo 
sitory  of  the  national  rights  and  interests  in  the  matter.  At  any 
rate,  it  is  hardly  to  be  supposed  that  the  constitution  would  have 
adopted  the  State  Executives  as  such  third  department,  to  pro 
tect  and  preserve  the  Federal  Government,  upon  the  failure  of 
the  State  legislatures  and  of  Congress  to  do  their  duty. 

I  take  it,  then,  to  be  perfectly  clear  that  the  State  legislatures 
can  constitutionally  fix  the  time  for  the  general  election  of  repre 
sentatives  to  Congress  at  a  period  subsequent  to  the  expiration 
of  the  previous  term ;  and  that  such  a  regulation  is  of  binding 
force  until  changed  or  abrogated  by  a  law  of  Congress.  If  I  am 
correct  in  this  conclusion,  then  the  law  of  Mississippi  fixing  the 
first  Monday  and  day  following  of  November,  of  each  second 
year,  as  the  time  for  the  election  of  her  representatives,  is  a  con 
stitutional  and  valid  law ;  for  Congress  has  neither  changed  nor 
abrogated  it.  Under  that  law,  and  in  pursuance  of  all  its  pro 
visions,  I  have  been  elected  a  representative  from  the  State  of 
Mississippi.  If  the  law  is  constitutional,  then  am  I  the  constitu 
tional  representative  of  that  State.  It  is  an  absurdity  in  terms 
to  admit  the  validity  of  the  law,  and  at  the  same  time  oppose  its 
operation,  and  deny  the  validity  of  its  legitimate  action. 

Suppose  the  Governor  had  not  ordered  a  special  election  in 
July,  and  I  had  presented  myself  with  the  credentials  which  I 


300  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

hold,  showing  my  doe  election  in  November,  under  the  genera 
election  law  of  the  State,  would  there  have  been  a  moment's  hesi 
tation  in  admitting  me?  Clearly  not;  for  by  precisely  the  same 
tenure  the  members  from  half  the  States  now  occupy  their 
seats. 

It  is  contended  by  the  sitting  members,  however,  that  on  the 
4th  of  March  last,  there  happened  a  vacancy  in  the  twenty-fifth 
Congress,  within  the  contemplation  of  the  2d  section,  and  that 
the  Governor  had  authority  to  issue  his  writ  to  fill  it. 

In  regard  to  this  position,  there  is  no  doubt  that  on  the  4th  of 
March  the  office  of  representatives  from  the  State  of  Mississippi, 
in  the  twenty-fifth  Congress,  was  vacant,  and  of  course  there 
was  a  vacancy  in  the  office,  which  continued  up  to  the  time  on 
which  the  Governor  issued  his  writ.  But  I  have  already  at 
tempted  to  show  that  it  was  not  a  vacancy  which  had  happened 
in  the  representation  from  that  State,  within  the  meaning  of  the 
2d  section,  1st  article.  It  was  one  of  those  regular,  stated,  and 
periodical  vacancies,  for  which  it  was  the  duty  of  the  legislature, 
and  not  of  the  Executive,  to  provide,  and  for  which  the  general 
election  law  of  the  State  does,  as  I  contend,  make  full  constitu 
tional  provision.  All  elections,  whether  general  or  special, 
whether  by  law  or  by  executive  authority,  are  to  fill  vacancies; 
for  an  office  must  be  vacant  before  it  can  be  filled ;  and  a  power 
to  fill  all  vacancies  would  be  a  power  to  fill  all  offices.  It  is 
true,  as  the  gentlemen  say  in  their  argument,  that  the  propriety 
of  filling  a  vacancy  does  not  depend  upon  the  particular  mode 
of  its  happening ;  but  upon  the  particular  mode  of  its  happening 
may  well  depend  the  propriety  of  placing  the  power  of  directing 
the  time,  place,  and  manner  of  filling  it  in  the  hands  of  the  Legis 
lature,  instead  of  the  Executive.  The  Constitution  intended  that 
all  vacancies  should  be  filled ;  but  it  gave  to  the  Legislature 
the  authority  to  direct  the  filling  of  the  regular  periodical  vacan 
cies,  and  to  the  Executive  the  direction  in  filling  vacancies  which 
Were  unforeseen,  and  the  result  of  accident  and  contingency. 
Each  of  these  depositaries  may  neglect  to  exercise  the  delegated 
power,  but  such  neglect  does  not  transfer  the  power.  Will  any 
one  contend  that,  upon  the  resignation  of  a  representative,  and 


SPEECH.  801 

the  delay  of  the  Governor  in  issuing  lus  ivrit,  the  Legislature 
could  order  the  election  to  fill  such  vacancy? 

It  is  conceded,  on  all  hands,  that  the  proclamation  of  the  Pre 
sident,  convening  Congress,  did  not  create  the  vacancy,  but  that 
it  existed  as  fully  on  the  4th  of  March  as  when  the  Governor 
issued  his  writ  to  fill  it.  Now,  for  the  sake  of  argument,  admit 
that  it  came  within  the  meaning  of  the  2d  section  of  the  1st 
article,  and  let  us  see  the  result.  At  what  time  must  the  Governor 
issue  his  writ,  ordering  an  election  to  fill  a  vacancy  ?  The  Con 
stitution  says,  "  when  vacancies  happen  in  the  representation 
from  any  State,  the  executive  authority  thereof  shall  issue  writs," 
&c.  The  happening  of  the  vacancy,  then,  indicates  the  time 
when  the  executive  authority  shall  act:  his  duty  is  clear  and 
positive:  he  has  no  discretion  whether  he  shall  act  or  not:  his 
only  discretion  is  that  which  necessarily  attaches  to  the  exercise 
of  the  duty,  in  the  fixing  of  a  reasonable  time,  place,  and  manner 
of  election.  The  issuing  of  his  writ,  denoting  the  time,  place, 
and  manner,  is  a  duty  incumbent  upon  him,  so  soon  as  he  is 
aware  uthat  a  vacancy  has  happened,"  &c.  The  vacancy  under 
consideration,  if  it  happened  at  all,  happened  on  the  4th  of  March. 
It  was  a  regular,  anticipated,  and  foreseen  vacancy.  The  Gover 
nor  knew  beforehand  when  it  would  happen;  and  was  bound, 
immediately  upon  its  happening,  to  obey  the  imperative  com 
mand  of  the  Constitution,  and  issue  his  writ  of  election.  The 
Constitution  does  not  say  "  when  Congress  is  convened,"  or 
*'  when  an  emergency  arises,"  or  u  when  the  executive  authority 
deems  it  expedient  and  necessary,"  he  shall  issue  his  writ  of 
election ;  but  "  when  vacancies  happen,"  &c.,  he  shall  do  it. 
The  argument  of  Messrs.  Olaiborne  and  Gholson,  submitted  to 
the  committee  at  the  special  session,  presents  probably  the  first 
instance  on  record  of  a  grave  attempt  to  prove  that  the  execu 
tive  authority  of  a  State  is  not  bound  to  perform  an  act  which 
the  Constitution  expressly  commands,  unless  he  thinks  the  per 
formance  of  such  act  necessary  and  expedient;  and  that,  if  he 
thinks  no  inconvenience  is  likely  to  result  from  his  failure  to 
obey  the  command,  he  need  not  obey  it;  in  other  words,  that 
the  performance  or  non-performance,  by  the  Executive,  of  con- 


302  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

Btitutional  duties,  depends  entirely  upon  executive  discretion. 
Surely  these  are  new  and  elastic  principles  of  constitutional  law, 
and  must  be  exceedingly  palatable  to  executive  taste. 

I  have  always  understood  that  when  the  Constitution  directs 
the  performance  of  an  act,  by  a  ministerial  officer,  the  direction 
itself  is  a  constitutional  decision  that  such  act  is  necessary  and 
expedient,  and  that  the  agent  to  whom  the  performance  is  as 
signed,  has  no  right  whatever  to  interpose  his  discretion  or  judg 
ment  as  to  its  expediency  or  necessity. 

I  take  it,  then,  that  the  provision  making  it  incumbent  upon 
the  executive  authority  to  issue  his  writ,  when  vacancies  happen, 
&c.,  is  of  itself  a  constitutional  decision,  both  of  the  necessity 
and  expediency  of  the  act,  whenever  the  contingency  occurs. 
If  I  am  correct  in  these  positions,  and  this  was  a  vacancy  within 
the  2d  section  of  the  1st  article,  it  follows,  as  a  matter  of  course, 
that  the  Governor  was  bound,  immediately  after  the  4th  of 
March  (the  time  when  it  happened(,  to  issue  his  writ  of  elec 
tion  ;  and  that  he  had  no  discretionary  power  to  abstain  from 
the  act. 

Now,  if  the  executive  authority  was  bound  on  the  4th  of 
March,  to  issue  his  writ  of  election  to  fill  this  vacancy,  it  seems 
to  me  clear  that  the  law  of  Mississippi,  professing  to  provide 
for  filling  the  same  vacancy  in  the  November  following,  is 
an  unconstitutional  law,  and  a  nullity.  The  Constitution  has 
made  no  provision  that  the  Legislature  shall  act  in  those  cases  in 
which  the  Executive  shall  have  failed  to  do  his  duty.  All  the 
power  of  the  Legislature  is  original  and  independent  of  executive 
action.  If,  then,  the  framers  of  the  Constitution  intended  to 
embrace  in  the  2d  section  of  the  1st  article  the  cases  of  periodi 
cal  vacancies,  arising  from  the  expiration  of  the  previous  term 
of  office,  they  must  have  considered  that  full  provision  was  made 
for  the  filling  such  vacancies,  in  the  injunction  placed  upon  the 
executive  authority  to  issue  his  writ  whenever  they  happened. 
I  say  they  must  have  considered  so,  for  they  nowhere  made  any 
provision  to  supply  the  failure  of  executive  action.  It  is  obvious, 
under  such  a  construction,  that  the  State  Legislatures  have  no 
power  to  pass  general  laws  fixing  the  time  for  election  of  Repre- 


SPEECH.  803 

eentatives,  at  periods  when,  by  constitutional  provision  and  in 
constitutional  contemplation,  the  office  has  been  already  filled 
through  the  executive  authority.  In  other  words,  it  would  be 
absurd  to  construe  the  Constitution  as  giving  to  the  Legislatures 
power  to  do  what,  in  constitutional  contemplation,  was  already 
done. 

But  suppose  the  gentlemen  are  right  in  their  proposition, 
that  the  State  Executive  may  issue  the  writ  or  not,  at  his  dis 
cretion.  I  understand  them  to  admit  that  if  the  State  Execu 
tive  fails  to  issue  his  writ,  the  election  under  the  general  law 
would  be  good.  It  is  also  admitted,  on  all  sides,  and  fully 
decided  in  the  case  of  Hoge,  that  the  State  Executive  has  the 
power  in  his  writ  of  election  to  designate  the  time  and  place. 
Let  us  see  how  these  propositions  can  stand  together. 

Suppose  the  Governor  of  Mississippi  had  issued  his  writ,  and, 
according  to  the  authority  which  the  gentlemen  ascribe  to  him, 
had  ordered  an  election  to  have  been  holden  at  the  same  time 
prescribed  for  the  general  election,  but  at  different  places  from 
those  designated  by  the  law :  suppose  a  portion  of  the  people 
had  voted  at  the  places  fixed  by  law,  and  the  remainder  at  the 
places  appointed  by  the  executive  authority;  two  sets  of 
representatives  are  chosen;  which  are  entitled  to  seats?  The 
elections  are  simultaneous,  but  under  two  distinct  authorities, 
each  claiming  the  constitutional  power  to  order  and  direct  the 
same.  My  opponents  admit  that  each  possesses  the  power;  but 
both,  of  course,  cannot  exercise  it.  In  the  case  supposed  they 
come  in  direct  collision.  Which  is  paramount,  the  law  of  the 
State  or  the  executive  writ  ? 

Even  if  the  powers  are  concurrent,  it  is  a  clear  principle, 
that  where  there  are  concurrent  jurisdictions,  that  which  first 
attaches  controls  the  subject-matter.  Now,  the  law  of  the 
State  fixing  the  time  for  the  election  of  Eepresentatives  to  the 
twenty-fifth  Congress  on  the  first  Monday  of  November  was 
enacted,  and  of  course  its  jurisdiction  attached,  long  before  the 
Govtrnor  claimed  his  jurisdiction  and  issued  his  writ.  It  ig 
admitted  that,  but  for  the  executive  action,  the  election  in 
November  would  have  been  valid.  This  drives  gentlemen  , 


304  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PREMISS. 

inevitably   to  the  position,   that   the   authority  of    the  State 
Executive  is  paramount  to  the  law ;  and  that  every  law,  either 
of   the  State  or  of  Congress,  fixing  the  time  of  election  for 
Representatives  after  the  expiration  of  the  previous  term,  can 
at  any  time  after  such    expiration   of    the  previous   term,  be 
abrogated  and  utterly  annulled  at  the  discretion  of  the  State 
Executive.     Suppose  Congress,  under  its   constitutional  power 
to  make  or  alter  the  election  laws,  had  passed  the  very  law  that 
Mississippi  has  enacted:  still,  according  to  gentlemen's  argu 
ment,  such  a  law  would  have  been  entirely  at  the  mercy  of  the 
State  Executive.     This  is  nullification  witli  a  vengeance.     South 
Carolina  claimed  the  power  to  nullify  an  unconstitutional  law  of 
Congress:   my  opponents  contend   for  the  right  in  the  State 
Executive  to  nullify  an  admitted  constitutional  law  either  of  the 
States  or  of  Congress;  for  the  principle  is  precisely  the  same, 
whether  applied  to  a  law  of  the  State  or  a  law  of  Congress. 
The  law  of  the  State  of  Mississippi  is  either  constitutional  or  it 
is  not.     If  it  is  constitutional,  then,  the  appointment  of  the  first 
Monday  in  November  for  the  time  of  election,  is  a  constitutional 
decision  by  the  constitutional  authority  that  the  first  Monday  of 
November  is  a  proper  time  for  such  election.     The  Legislature 
has  exercised,  in  fixing  that  time,  the  general  discretion  which, 
by  the  Constitution,  it  undoubtedly  possessed  over  the  subject; 
it  may  have  exercised  it  improperly.     The  period  fixed  may  be 
too  late  for  public  convenience  and  the  general  interest.     But  so 
long  as  the  law  continues  to  be  constitutional,  the  time  desig 
nated  in  it  is  constitutionally  right  and  proper.     But  it  may  be 
asked,  is  there  no  remedy?     Can  the  States,  by  improper  regu 
lations  on  this  subject,  stop  or  impede  the  operations  of  the 
Government? 

This  question  has  been  already  answered,  in  the  previous  part 
of  the  argument. 

The  sage  founders  of  our  political  system  contemplated  the 
possibility,  that  the  States  might  refuse  to  make  any  election 
laws,  or  might  make  improper  ones,  and,  in  consequence, 
expressly  delegated  to  Congress  the  power  "  to  make  or  alter 
such  regulations."  The  discretion  of  Congress,  in  deciding  what 


SPEECH.  305 

is  a  proper  time,  is  thus  made  paramount  to  that  of  the  State 
Legislatures.  But,  in  the  present  instance,  Congress  has  not 
thought  it  necessary  to  alter  the  State  regulation.  Tlii?,  of 
itself,  is  an  admission,  on  the  part  of  Congress,  that  the  State 
Legislature  has  not  improperly  exercised  its  discretion.  It  ha«, 
then,  been  decided,  by  the  Legislature  of  the  State  of  Missis 
sippi,  having,  by  the  Constitution,  full  and  express  jurisdiction 
over  the  matter,  that  the  first  Monday  of  November  last  was  a 
proper  time  for  the  people  of  that  State  to  elect  their  Represen 
tatives  to  the  twenty-fifth  Congress. 

This  decision  has  been  recognized  by  Congress  as  correct,  by 
its  failure  to  interpose  its  supervisory  power  to  alter  the  regu 
lation.  And  yet  the  monstrous  doctrine  is  advanced  by  my 
opponents,  that  there  resided  in  the  executive  breast  a  special 
discretion,  paramount  to  the  general  discretion  of  the  State 
legislature  and  Congress  combined,  and  fully  competent  to 
decide  that  November  was  not  a  proper  time  for  the  people  to 
elect  representatives;  but  that  July  was;  and,  accordingly,  to 
alter  the  time  from  November  to  July.  Will  gentlemen  point 
out  to  me  the  clause  of  the  Constitution  conferring  upon  the 
State  Executive  so  strange  and  anomalous  a  power. 

I  have  offered  these  views  to  show  the  absurdity  of  admitting 
the  right  of  the  State  legislatures  to  fix  the  time  for  the  genen! 
election  subsequent  to  the  expiration  of  the  previous  terms  of 
office,  and  at  the  same  time  to  contend  for  the  position,  that,  such 
periodical  vacancies  in  the  office  fall  within  the  provision  of  the 
second  section  of  the  first  article,  and  are  subject  to  be  filled  by 
virtue  of  the  executive  authority.  The  error  into  which  gentle 
men  fall,  in  the  interpretation  of  this  second  section,  arises  from 
a  disregard  of  one  of  the  most  obvious  rules  of  construction; 
which  is,  that  where  there  are  several  provisions  in  regard  to 
the  same  subject,  they  must  be  construed  together.  The  same 
provision,  and  the  same  words,  when  taken  independently,  will 
frequently  authorize  a  construction  totally  at  war  with  that 
which  will  be  at  once  acknowledged  as  the  legitimate  meaning, 
when  the  provision  is  construed  in  connection  with  others  on 
the  same  subject. 


506  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

Did  the  second  section  of  the  first  article  of  the  Constitution 
stand  alone,  it  might  undoubtedly  bear  a  construction  broade* 
than  that  which  I  apply  to  it — perhaps  even  as  extensive  as  that 
for  which  iny  opponents  contend ;  and  it  seems  to  me  that  the 
committee,  on  a  former  occasion,  in  considering  this  clause,  did 
construe  it  as  entirely  independent,  and  with  a  total  disregard 
to  the  other  constitutional  provisions  in  pari  mater  id.  Now, 
it  is  perfectly  obvious  that  this  clause  cannot  be  fairly  inter 
preted  except  in  connection  with  the  fourth  section,  which 
relates  to  the  same  subject.  The  second  section  gives  the  State 
Executives  certain  powers  over  the  subject  of  elections.  The 
fourth  section  gives  to  the  State  legislatures  certain  powers  over 
the  same  subject. 

Now,  before  defining  the  extent  of  the  powers  delegated  in 
either  of  these  clauses,  let  us  settle  a  preliminary  question.  Do 
these  two  clauses  convey  concurrent  or  independent  powers  ?  I 
have  already,  in  a  previous  part  of  my  argument,  asserted  my 
views  upon  this  point.  But  I  cannot  refrain  from  again  calling 
to  it  the  attention  of  the  House.  I  assert  the  powers  to  be  inde 
pendent;  that  one  is  the  complement  of  the  other;  that  where 
the  authority  of  the  State  legislatures  ceases,  there  the  executive 
authority  comme.nces;  thus  embracing  the  whole  subject,  and 
constituting  a  harmonious  circle  of  power.  I  have  shown,  from 
the  precedents  in  this  House,  that  this  principle  has  been  long 
recognized  and  adopted  as  a  rule  of  action.  In  the  case  of 
Hoge,  it  was  expressly  decided  that  cases  coming  within  the 
operation  of  the  second  section  of  the  first  article,  do  not  come 
within  the  operation  of  the  fourth  section.  I  have  further 
asserted  the  principle,  that,  in  the  distribution  of  the  powers 
which,  in  their  aggregate,  form  the  Federal  Government,  the 
Constitution  does  not  contemplate  or  authorize,  in  any  instance, 
the  exercise,  by  two  different  departments  at  the  same  time,  of 
the  same  power  over  the  same  subject-matter.  The  adverse 
construction  would  involve  an  absurdity.  A  constitution  author 
izing  such  a  duplicate  action,  would  be  so  defective  that  govern 
ment  could  not  be  carried  on  under  it.  Like  a  piece  of  badly 
constructed  machinery,  in  which  the  wheels  interfere  with  each 


SPEECH.  301 

other,  it  would  soon  fall  in  pieces  by  the  collision  of  its  own 
parts, 

In  construing  the  two  sections  of  the  Constitution  which 
regulate  the  elections  to  this  House,  we  should  endeavor  to  pre 
vent  their  clashing,  and  not  interpret  one  at  the  expense  of  tho 
other.  We  must  give  such  a  construction  as  will  let  both  clauses 
live  :  "ut  res  magis  xaleat  quam  pereat."1"1 

The  construction  which  I  have  attempted  to  establish  is  of 
this  character.  I  contend  that  the  legislative  authority  alone 
can  prescribe  the  time  of  election  for  filling  the  regular  periodi 
cal  vacancies  which  constitutionally  arise,  from  the  expiration 
of  each  Congress ;  and  that  the  executive  jurisdiction  only 
extends  to  such  vacancies  as  happen,  by  accident  and  contin 
gency  in  the  representation,  after  the  legislative  action  has  been 
exhausted.  By  my  construction,  the  two  clauses  can  both  stand 
without  conflict.  By  the  construction  of  my  opponents,  they 
clash  harshly  together,  and  one  is  compelled  to  give  way  to  the 
other.  The  law  of  the  State  is  forced  to  bend  to  the  discretion 
of  the  Stffte  Executive.  Like  the  misletoe  bough,  which  flour 
ishes  at  the  expense  of  the  tree  to  which  it  is  attached,  till  the 
exhausted  parent  dies,  in  the  greedy  embrace  of  its  ungrateful 
offspring,  so  does  their  construction  of  the  executive  power  eat 
out  and  destroy  the  legislative  authority  upon  which  it  was 
originally  engrafted. 

Gentlemen  are  forced  to  admit  that  the  State  legislature  can 
fix  the  time  for  election  at  a  period  subsequent  to  the  expiration 
of  the  previous  term;  while,  at  the  same  time,  it  is  contended 
that,  in  all  such  cases,  the  State  Executive  may  designate  for  the 
election  such  time  as  he  pleases.  Now,  to  be  consistent,  they 
should  deny  the  existence  of  this  power  in  the  legislature;  for  it 
involves  an  absolute'  absurdity  to  claim  for  the  Executive  of 
Mississippi  the  right  to  fix  the  time  for  the  election  in  July;  and, 
at  the  same  time,  to  admit  the  existence  of  a  legislative  power 
to  direct  the  holding  of  the  same  election  in  November.  The 
legislature  of  Mississippi  did,  by  law,  direct  that  the  representa 
tives  to  the  twenty-fifth  Congress  should  be  elected  on  the  first 
Monday,  and  day  following,  in  November.  The  executive  author- 


308  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

ity  of  the  same  State,  did  direct  an  election  (which  gentlemen 
contend  was  also  for  the  twenty-fifth  Congress)  to  be  holden  in 
July  preceding.  Now,  it  ^eeins  to  me  self-evident  that  either 
the  legislative  or  executive  action  was  without  constitutional 
sanction  ;  for  the  act  of  one  is  clearly  invalid.  The  accidental 
call  of  an  extraordinary  session  of  Congress,  and  the  embar 
rassing  condition  of  the  country,  are  not,  either  separately  or 
combined,  sufficient  to  suspend  the  operation  or  validity  of  a 
constitutional  law.  I  take  it  that  such  considerations  have  no 
legitimate  bearing  whatever  upon  the  question  in  controversy. 
Let,  then,  gentlemen  boldly  and  directly  take  the  ground  which 
they  have  indirectly  taken ;  let  them  grapple  the  question  hon 
estly  and  fairly;  let  them  assert,  at  once,  the  position  that  the 
State  legislatures  cannot  constitutionally  fix  the  election  of  their 
representatives  to  Congress  at  times  subsequent  to  the  expiration 
of  the  term  preceding  that  for  which  the  election  is  to  be 
holden;  for  this  position  is  the  necessary  consequence  of  their 
assumption,  that  this  very  power  resides  with  the  State  Execu 
tive. 

If  the  view  of  the  Constitution  which  I  have  taken  be  correct, 
then  the  Governor  of  Mississippi  had  no  power  to  order  an  elec 
tion  in  July  last,  and  the  election  held  under  his  mandate  was 
unconstitutional  and  void. 

If,  however,  I  am  mistaken  in  my  construction,  and  the 
Governor  had  the  power  to  supersede  the  law,  and  order  an 
election  for  the  twenty-fifth  Congress,  the  question  then  arises, 
did  he  exercise  it  ?  The  proclamation  or  writ  of  the  Governor, 
after  reciting  that  a  vacancy  had  happened,  by  the  expiration  of 
the  previous  term  of  service,  commands  the  different  sheriffs  to 
hold  an  election  for  representatives  to  fill  such  vacancy,  "until 
superseded  by  the  members  to  be  elected  at  the  next  regular  elec 
tion,  on  the  first  Monday,  and  day  following,  in  November 
next." 

The  proclamation  or  writ,  it  will  be  perceived,  does  not,  in 
point  of  fact,  order  an  election  for  the  whole  of  the  twenty-fif.h 
Congress,  but  only  for  that  portion  of  it  anterior  to  the  general 
election  in  November,  and  upon  its  face  certainly  does  not 


SPEECH. 


309 


authorize  an  election  for  a  longer  period.  But,  under  the  crea 
tive  power  of  the  majority  of  the  Committee  of  Elections,  it 
has  grown  up  into  an  ample  authority  for  holding  an  election  to 
fill  the  whole  term. 

The  ratiocination  by  which  they  arrived  at  this  remarkable 
conclusion  is  a  curious  specimen  of  argumentative  absurdity. 

The  Governor,  say  these  syllogistic  gentlemen,  had  no  right  to 
order  an  election  for  a  period  less  than  the  unexpired  term.  He 
did,  however,  we  admit,  order  an  election  tor  only  a  small  por 
tion  of  the  unexpired  term;  but  we  will  reject,  as  surplusage, 
all  that  portion  of  the  writ  which  relates  to  the  time  for  which 
the  election  was  to  be  holden,  and  then  it  will  appear  as  if  the 
Governor  issued  a  writ  for  the  whole  vacancy,  though  we  know, 
in  point  of  fact,  that  he  did  not.  The  writ  orders  an  election 
for  three  months  only,  but,  by  rejecting  a  portion  as  surplus 
age,  we  shall  have  two  years  left.  Like  the  leaves  of  the  Sibyl, 
the  writ  will  grow  in  value  as  it  diminishes  in  quantity:  the 
more  we  take  from  it,  the  larger  it  will  become ;  and  by  lessen 
ing  it  one-half  we  increase  it  fourfold.  Truly,  had  these  gentle 
men  lived  in  ancient  times,  they  would  have  puzzled  the  Sphinx 
with  their  riddles,  and  the  scholars  with  their  logic.  They  have 
performed  a  miracle  greater  than  that  which  illustrates  the 
history  of  the  widow's  cruse.  The  widow  continually  used  of 
the  oil,  and  yet  the  cruse  always  remained  full;  these 
gentlemen,  by  using  from  the  Governor's  writ,  not  only  do  not 
diminish  it,  but  enlarge  its  abundance. 

But  what  is  this  doctrine  of  surplusage?  Surplusage,  in  legal 
definition,  as  well  as  in  common  parlance,,  means  a  superfluity — 
more  than  enough.  Now,  the  writ  in  this  case  does  not  con 
tain  any  superfluity  of  substance  or  meaning ;  the  defect  com 
plained  of  is,  that  it  does  not  contain  enough.  The  substance 
of  the  mandate  is  an  election  for  three  months,  when,  as  gen 
tlemen  contend,  it  should  have  been  for  two  years.  There  is 
clearly,  then,  nothing  of  surplusage  in  the  substance  of  the  writ. 
If  there  are  more  words  than  are  necessary  to  convey  the 
substance  of  the  mandate,  it  would  constitute  a  verbal  surplus 
age,  and  such  unnecessary  words  might  be  rejected.  This, 


310  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENT1SS 

however,  is  not  the  case.  The  words  rejected  by  the  committee 
as  surplusage,  form  a  component  and  essential  part  of  the  man 
date.  It  is  manifest  that  there  is  no  superfluous  substance  to 
reject ;  for  the  complaint  arises  from  a  deficiency,  and  I  know 
of  no  rule  by  which,  in  the  construction  of  an  instrument,  you 
can  reject  words,  as  surplusage,  which  form  an  essential  part  of 
the  meaning ;  when,  by  such  rejection,  you  change  entirely  the 
substance  and  character  of  the  document.  Gentlemen  say  that 
the  Governor  had  no  right  to  limit  the  term  of  service.  The 
conclusion,  then,  is,  that  he  has  issued  an  unconstitutional  man 
date.  If  so,  it  is  void.  What  right  have  you  to  construe  an 
unconstitutional  act  into  a  constitutional  one,  in  violation  of  the 
admitted  intent  and  express  meaning  of  the  actor  ? 

You  say  the  Governor  had  the  authority  to  issue  a  writ  of 
election  -for  the  whole  unexpired  term.  Very  well.  The 
answer  is,  and  it  seems  to  me  a  satisfactory  one,  he  has  not 
done  it.  Suppose  he  had  issued  no  writ  at  all :  could  you  have 
rejected  Ids  neglect  as  surplusage,  and  sustained  an  election  held 
without  any  executive  mandate  ?  It  seems  to  me  you  could  do  it 
with  as  much  propriety  as  you  can  sustain  an  election  for  two  years 
under  a  writ  ordering  one  for  three  months.  If  by  construction 
eighteen  months  can  be  forced  into  a  writ,  against  its  admitted 
meaning,  I  see  no  reason  why  the  whole  writ  may  not  be  created 
by  construction.  It  is  perfectly  obvious  that,  whether  the 
Governor  had  or  had  not  the  power  of  ordering  an  election  for 
the  whole  unexpired  term  of  the  twenty-fifth  Congress,  he  has 
never  exercised  or  attempted  to  exercise  such  power,  and  it 
would  be  a  monstrous  doctrine  to  assert  that,  constructively,  he 
did  what  you  admit,  in  point  of  fact,  he  did  not  do. 

From  these  considerations,  as  well  as  from  the  position  which 
I  have  endeavored  to  demonstrate,  that  the  Governor  had  no 
constitutional  authority  to  order  an  election  in  July,  I  come  to 
the  conclusion  embraced  in  my  first  general  proposition,  to  wit: 
"  that  the  election  in  July  last,  under  which  the  sitting  members 
claim  their  seats,  was  unconstitutional,  null,  and  void." 

This  brings  me  to  the  second  proposition,  that  the  election 
in  July,  if  good  for  anything,  was  good  only  frr  the  period 


SPEECH.  311 

anterior  to  the  general  election.  I  shall  say  but  little  upon  thi? 
point,  inasmuch  as  most  of  the  principles  applicable  U  it  have 
been  already  discussed  in  the  previous  argument.  I  am  decidedly 
of  opinion  that  there  was  no  vacancy  whatever,  within  the 
meaning  of  the  second  section  of  the  first  article.  But,  if  there 
was,  what  was  its  extent?  It  seems  to  have  been  taken  for 
granted  that  it  must  necessarily  be  the  whole  of  the  unexpired 
term.  Upon  what  principle,  however,  has  this  conclusion  been 
adopted  ? 

The  Constitution  does  not  define  a  vacancy;  and  the  very 
reasoning  by  which  gentlemen  arrive  at  the  conclusion,  that 
there  was  in  July  a  vacancy  within  the  executive  jurisdiction, 
would  limit  its  extent  to  the  regular  November  election. 

The  reasoning  which  sustains  the  power  of  the  Governor,  is 
based  upon  the  doctrine  of  necessity,  and  upon  the  supposed 
constitutional  intention  of  authorizing  provision  by  the  executive 
writ,  for  any  failure  of  legislative  action.  This  is  the  ground 
taken  by  my  opponents.  Admitting  its  truth,  then,  the  fair 
measure  of  the  executive  power  will  be  the  deficiency  of  legislative 
action.  Now,  the  deficiency  of  legislative  action  extends  only 
from  the  4th  of  March  to  the  first  Monday  in  November.  After 
that,  ample  constitutional  legislation  embraces  the  subject,  and 
fully  relieves  it  from  any  further  necessity  for  executive  assistance. 
By  extending  the  power  of  the  Governor  beyond  the  time  for  the 
general  election,  you  carry  it  further  than  your  own  construction 
of  the  Constitution  warrants,  and  make  it  trench  upon  and  overrun 
the  admitted  constitutional  action  of  the  State  legislature.  From 
the  arguments  and  upon  the  views  of  my  opponents  themselves, 
I  should  feel  compelled  to  define  the  meaning  of  the  word  vacancy, 
as  used  in  the  second  section  of  the  first  article,  to  be  "that 
portion  of  the  office  the  filling  of  which  is  unprovided  for  by 
constitutional  legislation."  Neither  necessity,  convenience,  nor 
legitimate  construction,  can  extend  the  definition.  If  it  be 
correct,  then  there  was  a  vacancy  unprovided  for  by  law, 
extending  from  the  4th  of  March  to  the  time  of  the  general  elec 
tion  in  November,  and  the  Governor's  writ  was  in  exact  accord 
ance  with  his  constitutional  power.  The  only  provision  in  the 


312  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

Constitution,  in  relation  to  the  term  of  service,  is  that  contained 
in  the  second  section,  first  article.  "  The  House  of  Representatives 
shall  consist  of  members  chosen  every  second  year,"  &c.     Now, 
this  provision  manifestly  applies  only  to  the  general  elections, 
and  is  simply  a  limitation  of  the  power  given  to   the   State 
legislatures  to  fix  the  times,  &c.     Under  this  clause,  the  State 
legislatures  are  bound  to  provide  for  a  general  election  every 
second  year.     The  clause  cannot  have  any  application  whatever 
to  elections  for  filling  vacancies.     Members  may  be  chosen  to  fill 
vacancies  not  only  every  second  year,  but  every  second  month, 
should  they  happen  so  often.     The  assumption  of  my  opponents, 
that  a  vacancy  must  necessarily  extend  to  the  whole  unexpired 
Congress,  is  unsupported  by  any  constitutional  provision,  and 
totally  at  war  with  the  very  principles  upon  which  they  base 
the  Governor's  vacancy-filling  power.     I  come,  from  these  con 
siderations,    to  the   conclusion,   that,  if  there   was  a  vacancy 
within  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Governor,  it  extended  to  November 
only,  when  the  regular  legislative  jurisdiction  attached;   and, 
consequently,  that  the  election  in  July  last,  if  good  at  all,  was 
only  valid  for  the  period  anterior  to  the  general  November  elec 
tion.     This  brings  me  to  the  third  and  last  proposition  with 
which  I  set  out,  viz :  that,  in  November  last,  my  colleague  and 
myself  were  constitutionally  and  legally  elected  representatives 
from  the  State  of  Mississippi  to  the  twenty-fifth  Congress.     If  I 
have  succeeded  in  demonstrating  either  of  the  first  two  proposi 
tions,  this  one  will  follow  as  a  matter  of  course.     The  Constitu 
tion  of  the  United  States  authorized  the  legislature  of  Mississippi 
to  fix  the  time,  places,  and  manner  of  elections  for  Congress.     I 
have  already  endeavored  to  show  that  the  Legislature  did,  in  the 
constitutional   exercise   of  that  authority,  prescribe  the  time, 
places,  and  manner;  and  that,  under  and  in  pursuance  of  all 
those  regulations,  my  colleague  and  myself  were  elected,  on  the 
first  Monday,  and  day  following,  of  November  last.     Of  all  this 
the  HoHse  has  ample  evidence,  through  the  official  organs  of  the 
State.     There  is  no  controversy  as  to  the  result  of  the  election. 

The  House  judges  of  the  election,  qualifications,  and  returns. 
Was  there  any  defect  in  the  election  ?    If  so,  point  it  out.     Was 


SPEECH. 

it  not  conducted  in  full  accordance  with  the  Constitution 
United  States,  and  the  constitution  and  laws  of  the  State  o 
Mississippi  ?  If  not,  show  the  variance.     Well,  then,  the  election 
was  a  valid  one. 

On  the  score  of  qualification,  is  there  any  objection?  None; 
no  one  doubts  or  denies  the  qualifications  of  my  colleague  and 
myself.  Of  the  returns,  are  they  not  legal  and  satisfactory  ?  Not 
a  whisper  has  been  breathed  to  the  contrary.  Upon  which 
branch  of  its  jurisdiction  will  the  House  base  an  objection- 
upon  election,  qualification,  or  return?  If  no  valid  objection 
arises  out  of  either  of  these  three  points,  then  we  are  entitled  to 
seats;  for  beyond  those  three  points  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
House  does  not  extend. 

If  the  July  election  was  void,  or  extended  only  to  the  Novem 
ber  election,  then  the  latter  election  must  inevitably  be  sus 
tained,  unless  there  is  something  averred  and  proven  to  vitiate 
it.  It  stands,  otherwise,  upon  the  same  footing  with  the  general 
elections  of  the  other  States  which  have  occurred  since  the  4th 
of  March.  There  can  be  no  sort  of  doubt  that  one  of  the  said 
elections  in  Mississippi  was  constitutional  and  valid ;  and  I  pre 
sume  no  one  will  advance  the  absurdity,  that  an  unconstitutional 
and  void  election  can  vitiate  a  constitutional  and  valid  election. 

I  have  now  done  with  the  argument  of  this  matter.  It  is  for 
the  grave  judges  around  me  to  say  whether  I  have  established 
any  of  my  propositions.  I  have  detained  the  House,  in  this 
opening  of  the  cause,  longer,  perhaps,  than  its  patience  would 
warrant.  But  ample  excuse,  I  trust,  may  be  found  in  the  mag 
nitude  of  the  principles  involved,  and  the  inexperience  of  the 
humble  individual  to  whom  their  illustration  has  been  com 
mitted.  I  have  performed  my  duty ;  it  now  devolves  upon  you 
to  perform  yours.  In  the  performance  of  that  duty,  let  me  teL 
you,  sir,  no  ordinary  responsibility  rests  upon  you.  The  eyes  of 
the  nation  are  directed  to  your  action,  with  an  anxiety  commen 
surate  with  the  importance  of  the  subject  to  be  affected  by  your 
decision.  That  subject  is  no  less  than  the  tight  of  representa 
tion,  the  elective  franchise,  the  Promethean  spark  which  imparts 
Ufe  and  soul  to  our  whole  political  system ;  without  which,  all 

14 


314 


MEMOIR    OF   S.    S.    PRENTISS. 


our  institutions  are  but  inanimate  things ;  dull,  cole,  and  senaa- 
less  statues.  In  your  situation,  even  good  intention  will  not 
justify  error.  At  your  hands  the  American  people  will  require 
a  strict  account  of  that  Constitution  of  which  you  are  appointed 
guardians,  and  over  whose  most  vital  part  a  fatal  stab  is  now 
impending.  You  cannot  respond,  as  did  the  first  fratricide, 
"  Who  made  me  the  keeper  of  my  brother  Abel?"  To  you  is 
entrusted  the  keeping  of  the  Constitution;  see  that  you  rob  it 
not  of  its  richest  treasure. 

I  advance  here  no  personal  claim ;  it  is  the  claim  of  one  of  the 
sovereign  States  of  this  Confederacy  which  I  advocate;  her 
claim  to  the  right  of  choosing  her  own  Representatives  accord 
ing  to  her  own  constitutional  laws.  Will  you  deny  her  this 
right?  Will  you  rend  the  brightest  and  the  strongest  link  in 
the  golden  chain  of  Union  ? 

Sir,  if  you  persist  in  denying  to  Mississippi  that  right  to  which 
she  is  entitled  in  common  with  every  other  State,  you  inflict 
upon  her  a  wound  which  no  medicine  can  heal.  If  you  are 
determined  to  impose  upon  her  a  representation  not  of  her 
choice,  and  against  her  will,  go  on,  and  complete  the  work  of 
degradation;  send  her  a  proconsul  for  a  Governor,  and  make 
taskmasters  to  rule  over  her. 

Let  her  no  longer  sit  with  you,  a  young  and  fair  member  ofthis 
proud  sisterhood ;  but  strip  off  the  robes  of  equality,  and  make 
of  her  a  handmaid  and  a  servant. 

Better,  far  better,  had  she  never  emerged  from  the  chrysalis 
condition  of  a  Territory,  to  wear  the  gaudy  honors  and  butter 
fly  wings  of  a  State,  if  you  can  thus,  with  your  mere  touch, 
brush  her  brightest  tints  away. 

Sir,  you  may  think  it  an  easy  and  a  triflirig  matter  to  deprive 
Mississippi  of  her  elective  franchise;  for  she  is  young,  and  may 
not,  perchance,  have  the  power  to  resist;  but  I  am  much  mis 
taken  in  the  character  of  her  chivalrous  citizens,  if  you  do  not 
find  that  she  not  only  understands  her  rights,  but  has  both  the 
will  and  the  power  to  vindicate  them.  You  may  yet  find,  to 
your  sorrow,  that  you  have  grasped  a  scorpion,  where  yon 
thought  you  were  only  crushing  a  worm.  This  House  would  as 


SPEECH.  316 

soon  put  its  head  in  a  lion's  mouth,  as  take  the  course  which  is 
threatened,  towards  the  elder  and  more  powerful  States.  And 
how  happens  it,  that  Representatives  of  the  States  which  have 
always  been  the  readiest  in  the  assertion  of  their  own  rights, 
should  now  be  most  zealous  in  trampling  upon  the  rights  of 
Mississippi  ?  What  has  she  done,  that  she  should  be  selected  as 
a  victim  ?  No  State  is  or  has  ever  been  more  ardently 
attached  to  the  Union ;  and  if  she  is  placed  beyond  its  pale,  it 
will  be  your  fault,  and  not  her  own.  Sir,  if  you  consummate  this 
usurpation,  you  degrade  the  State  of  Mississippi :  and  if  she  sub 
mits,  never  again  can  she  wear  the  lofty  look  of  conscious 
independence.  Burning  shame  will  set  its  seal  upon  her  brow  ; 
and  when  her  proud  sons  travel  in  other  lands,  they  will  blush 
at  the  history  of  her  dishonor,  as  it  falls  from  the  sneering  lip 
of  the  stranger.  Sir,  place  her  not  in  that  terrible  and  trying 
position,  in  which  her  love  for  this  glorious  Union  will  be  found 
at  war  with  her  own  honor,  and  the  paramount  obligation 
which  binds  her  to  transmit  to  the  next  generation,  untarnished 
and  undiminished,  her  portion  of  that  rich  legacy  of  the  Revolu 
tion,  which  \vas  bought  with  blood,  and  which  should  never  be 
parted  with  for  a  price  less  than  what  it  cost.  Is  there  a  State 
in  this  Union  that  would  part  with  it ;  that  would  submit 
to  have  her  Representatives  chosen  by  this  House,  and  forced 
upon  her  against  her  will  ?  Come !  what  says  the  Bay 
State — time-honored  Massachusetts  ?  From  the  cradle  in  which 
young  Liberty  was  first  rocked,  even  from  old  Faneuil  Hall, 
comes  forth  her  ready  answer,  and,  before  it  dies  away,  again 
it  is  repeated  from  Bunker  Hill :  "  It  was  for  this  very  right 
of  representation  our  fathers  fought  the  battles  of  the  Revo 
lution,  and  ere  we  will  surrender  this  dear-bought  right,  those 
battles  shall  again  become  dread  realities."  Would  Kentucky 
submit?  Ask  her,  Mr.  Speaker,  and  her  Mammoth  cavern 
will  find  a  voice  to  thunder  in  your  ear  her  stern  response : 
"No;  sooner  than  submit  to  such  an  outrage,  our  soil  shall  be 
re-baptized  with  a  new  claim  to  the  proud  but  melancholy  title 
of  the  dark  and  lloody  ground."  And  what  says  Virginia, 
with  her  high  device — her  " sic  semper  tyrannis"  the  loftiest 


316  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

motto  that  ever  .blazed  upon  a  warrior's  shield  or  a  nation's 
arms?  How  would  she  brook  such  usurpation?  What  says  the 
mother  of  States  and  State  Right  doctrines;  she  who  has 
placed  instruction  as  a  guardian  over  representation  ;  what  says 
she  to  the  proposition  that  this  House  can  make  Representatives, 
and  f Dree  them  upon  a  State  in  violation  of  its  choice  and  will  ? 
And  where  is  South  Carolina,  the  Harry  Percy  of  the  Union? 
On  which  side  in  this  great  controversy  does  she  couch  her 
lance  and  draw  her  blade?  I  trust,  upon  the  side  of  her 
sister  State;  upon  the  side,  too,  of  the  constitutional  rights  of  all 
the  States;  and  let  her  lend  the  full  strength  of  her  good  right 
arm  to  the  blow,  when  she  strikes  in  so  righteous  a  quarrel. 

Upon  all  the  States  I  do  most  solemnly  call,  for  that  justice  to 
another,  which  they  would  expect  for  themselves.  Let  this  cup 
pass  from  Mississippi.  Compel  her  not  to  drink  its  bitter 
ingredients,  lest,  some  day,  even-handed  justice  should  "com 
mend  the  poisoned  chalice  "  to  yonr  own  lips.  Rescind  that  reso 
lution,  which  presses  like  a  foul  incubus  upon  Ihe  Constitution. 
You  sit  here,  twenty-five  sovereign  States,  in  judgment,  upon 
the  most  sacred  right  of  a  sister  State ;  that  which  is  to  a  State 
what  chastity  is  to  a  woman,  or  honor  to  a  man.  Should  yon 
decide  against  her,  you  tear  from  her  brow  the  richest  jewel 
which  sparkles  there,  and  forever  bow  her  head  in  shame  and 
dishonor.  But,  if  your  determination  is  taken ;  if  the  blow 
must  fall ;  if  the  violated  Constitution  must  bleed ;  I  have  but 
one  request,  on  her  behalf,  to  make.  When  you  decide  that  she 
cannot  choose  her  own  representation,  at  that  self-same  moment 
blot  from  the  spangled  banner  of  this  Union  the  bright  star  that 
glitters  to  the  name  of  Mississippi,  but  leave  the  stripe  behind, 
a  fit  emblem  of  her  degradation. 

The  reader  can  hardly  fail  to  have  observed,  in  reading 
this  argument,  how  well  Mr.  Prentiss  was  prepared  for  it 
by  his  speeches  in  the  Legislature  of  Mississippi,  the  pre 
vious  winter,  upon  the  question  of  admitting  the  New 
County  Delegation.  Some  of  the  main  points,  involved  in 
*,he  two  cases,  were  identical. 


ADDRESS. 


811 


CHAPTER  XII. 


Address  to  the  People  «f  Mississippi— Retur  A  to  Vicksburg— Second  Canvass  of 
the  State — Reminiscences  of  it — Speech  at  Natchez — Anecdotes  illustrating  the 
Effect  of  his  Eloquence— His  own  Account  of  Scenes  with  a  Menagerie— Result  of 
the  Election— Address  to  a  Jury— Lette-s— Return  to  Washington— Claims  his 
Seat  under  the  November  Certificate  of  Election— Characteristic  Incident  men 
tioned  by  Mr.  Word— Speech  on  the  Sub-Treasury  Bill— Letters— Speech  on 
Small  Note  Bill— North  and  South. 

^ET.  29.— 1838. 


BEFORE  leaving  Washington,  Mr.  Prentiss  issued  a  spirit 
ed  Address  to  the  People  of  Mississippi,  of  which  the  fol 
lowing  passages  contain  the  substance  : — 

FELLOW-CITIZEXS— In  November  last,  you  elected  me  one  of 
your  Representative  to  the  25th  Congress,  by  much  the  largest 
vote  ever  polled  for  that  office  in  the  State.  The  election  was 
holden,  as  you  well  know,  at  the  time,  places,  and  in  the  manner 
prescribed  by  your  laws,  which  laws  were  enacted  by  your  Le 
gislature,  under  the  express  authority  of  the  Constitution  of  the 
United  States.  Immediately  upon  ascertaining  the  result  of  that 
election,  I  received  from  the  Governor  credentials,  in  pursuance 
of  law,  and  repaired,  with  all  convenient  speed,  to  the  Federal 
city.  I  presented  my  credentials  to  the  Speaker  of  the  House  of 
Representatives,  and  demanded  to  be  sworn  in  as  a  member.  The 
Speaker  refused;  and  I  was  told  that  the  seats  belonging  to  the 
State  of  Mississippi  were  already  filled.  On  examination,  I  found 
them  occupied  by  Messrs.  Claiborne  and  Gholson.  You  proba 
bly  recollect  that,  in  July  last,  you  selected  those  gentlemen  to 


SI  8  MEMOIR    OF    S.    8.    PRENTISS. 

serve  you  until  superseded  by  such  persons  as  you  might  select, 
at  the  general  election  in  November.     On  presenting  my  power 
of  attorney  from  you,  dispensing  with  their  further  service,  and 
substituting  myself  and  colleague  in  their  places,  they  utterly  re 
fused  to  obey,  and  set  your  mandate  at  open  defiance.     Indeed 
th  ey  had  previously  asserted,  upon  the  floor  of  the  House,  that  you 
had  elected  them  for  the  whole  of  the  25th  Congress  ;  that  they 
had  been  candidates  for  the  whole  term,  and  that  you  so  under 
stand  it.     They  demanded  and  obtained,  at  the  special  session,  by 
a  resolution  introduced  by  themselves,  a  decision  that  they  were 
duly  elected  to  the  whole  25th  Congress  ;  and  relying  upon  this 
decision,  they  objected,  both  before  the  Committee  and  the  House, 
to  any  examination  into  the  question  whether  you  did,  in  reality, 
intend  to  elect  them  for  a  longer  period  than  the  special  session  ; 
thus  basing  their  claims  to  seats,  not  upon  your  wiJl,  but  upon  a 
decision  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  procured  at  their  own 
instigation,  upon  an  ex  parte  examination  of  the  case,  and  with 
out  the  production  of  any  legal  credentials  or  certificate  of  elec 
tion  whatever.     Finding  the  attitude  in  which  the  matter  stood, 
I  proceeded  at  once  to  attack  the  decision  of  the  House,  as  uncon 
stitutional,  ex  parte,  and  founded  upon  palpable  mistake.     I  took 
the  ground  that  whatever  might  be  the  validity  of  the  July  elec 
tion,  it  was  not  intended  to  supersede,  nor  could  it  constitution 
ally  supersede,  the  regular  election  in  November,  and  that  the 
constitutional  rights  of  the  people  of  Mississippi  were  beyond  the 
control  of  the  House  of  Representatives.     I  denied  the  power  of 
one  branch  of  the  Federal  Legislature  to  nullify  the  admitted  con 
stitutional  law  of  the  State  of  Mississippi,  fixing  the  time  for  the 
election  of  her  Representatives  to  Congress.     I  openly  denied, 
on  your  behalf,  any  intention  of  surrendering  your  constitutional 
right  of  choosing  your  Representatives  at  the  time,  places,  and 
in  the  manner  prescribed  by  your  laws.     After  a  most  severe 
and  memorable  contest,  in  which  every  art  and  effort  was  ex 
hausted,   for  the  purpose  of  sustaining  Messrs.  CJaiborne  and 
Gholson  in  their  usurped  places,  the  House  solemnly  decided  that 
they  were  not  entitled  to  seats,  as  the  Representatives  of  the 
State  of  Mississippi,  on  the  express  ground  that  the  July  election 
was  unconstitutional  and  void. 


ADDRESS.  31  fc 

So  far  the  House  of  Representatives  honorably  rectified  an 
acknowledged  error  into  which  they  had  fallen  ;  and  sustained 
you  against  the  attack  which  had  been  made  by  Messrs.  Clai- 
bornc  and  Gholson  upon  your  most  sacred  constitutional  rights, 
and  these  gentlemen  were  justly  turned  out  of  the  seats  to  which 
they  had  clung  with  such  desperate  tenacity.  I  would,  for  the 
honoi  of  the  American  nation,  I  could  stop  here.  No  sooner, 
however,  had  the  House  decided  that  the  July  election  was  void, 
because  November  was  the  only  time  at  which  an  election  could 
be  valid,  than  they  turned  around  and  again  decided  that  the 
November  election  was  void,  because  of  the  error  into  which  the 
House  had  fallen. 

The  highest  political  right  which  appertains  to  you  was 
suspended,  and  the  State  of  Mississippi  totally  disfranchised,  not 
by  any  fault  of  her  own,  but  through  the  acknowledged  ignorance 
of  the  House.  While  the  House  was  in  error,  you  could  not 
exercise  your  rights ;  and  a  simple  resolution  of  the  Federal  House 
of  Representatives,  by  this  decision,  is  sufficient,  at  any  time,  not 
only  to  modify,  but  destroy,  the  right  of  representation  of  any  or 
every  State  in  the  Union.  No  one  denied  that,  in  pursuance  of 
the  law  and  the  constitution,  you  had  elected  me  as  your 
representative.  It  was  your  right  to  elect  anybody  that  was 
denied.  It  was  decided  that  your  election  in  July  was  void,  on 
account  of  the  November  election,  and  that  the  November  elec 
tion  was  void,  on  account  of  the  erroneous  decision  of  the  House 
in  favor  of  the  July  election.  Thus,  at  a  period  when,  of  all 
others,  your  interests  most  require  attention,  and  questions  of 
vital  importance  are  agitating  the  country,  you  are  juggled  out 
of  your  whole  right  of  representation  in  the  popular  branch  of 
the  National  Legislature,  and  the  reason  assigned  is,  that  the 
blunders  of  the  House  of  Representatives  are  constitutional  laws, 
and  paramount  to  the  admitted  constitutional  laws  of  the  States, 
and  of  force  sufficient  to  annul  the  same.  Doctrines  so  federal 
were  never  before  advanced  in  this  government ;  and  if  they  be 
correct,  then  is  the  House  of  Representatives  a  despot,  and  the 
rights  of  the  States  exist  only  in  imagination.  If  such  doctrines 
are  correct,  what  prevents  Congress  from  declaring  itself  per- 


320  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    FRENTISS. 

petual— a  rump  parliament— and  then  asserting,  as  they  have  ic 
the  present  instance,  that  so  long  as  that  decision  remaiiii 
unrescinded,  the  constitutional  power  of  the  States  to  hold  their 
regular  elections  is  suspended,  and  their  laws  nullified  ? 

Upon  the  question  of  the  validity  of  the  November  election, 
the  vote  stood  at  a  tie,  and  the  Speaker  hud  the  glorious  infamy 
of  deciding  it  against  you.  A  single  representative  from  another 
State  exercised  the  power  of  denying  your  right  to  any  repre 
sentation,  and  the  still,  small  voice  of  James  K.  Polk  deprived 
you  of  that  which  a  hundred  thousand  bayonets  could  not  have 
forced  from  you. 

I  wish  you  distinctly  to  understand  that  your  right  of  election, 
either  in  July  or  November,  has  been  solemnly  denied  and 
repudiated.  I  told  the  House  that  you  would  not  submit  quietly 
to  have  your  elective  franchise  trodden  beneath  the  iron  heel  of 
federal  despotism,  and  that  there  was  no  possession  you  would 
not  sooner  part  with  than  your  right  of  representation,  that 
great  legacy  of  the  Revolution.  Was  I  right  or  wrong  in  thus 
speaking  for  you?  Whether  right  or  wrong,  I  spoke  my  own 
sentiments  when  I  denounced,  as  I  did,  the  action  of  the  House 
as  a  plain  and  palpable  violation  of  the  Constitution— a  foul,  high 
handed  and  tyrannical  usurpation.  I  looked  with  scorn  and 
derision  upon  the  juggling  and  hypocritical  pretence  of  sending 
the  election  back  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  your  wishes, 
when  you  had  spoken,  through  all  your  legal  and  constitutional 
forms,  in  a  voice  which  an  idiot  could  not  fail  to  have  under 
stood.  The  House  has  decided  that  both  your  election  in  July 
and  November  are  void ;  and  yet  they  permit  the  representative 
from  Arkansas  to  hold  his  seat  under  two  elections  precisely 
parallel. 

I  tell  you  candidly  and  honestly  my  own  opinion  of  the  whole 
transaction,  and  I  have  been  a  close  and  attentive  observer.  I  be 
lieve  you  have  been  basely  defrauded  of  your  elective  franchise, 
simply  because  you  did  not  choose,  in  exercising  it,  to  consult  the 
political  taste  and  complexion  of  the  majority  in  the  House.  It 
is  for  you  to  say  whether  you  will  bow  in  submission  to  the  rod; 
and  sacrifice  your  great  and  sacred  rights  at  the  shrine  of  party 


ADDRESS. 


321 


dictation,  or  whether  you  will  assert  jour  right,  free  and  untram 
melled,  to  elect  whom  you  please  as  your  representatives. 

The  true  contest  now  is,  whether  you  or  the  House  of  Repre 
sentatives  shall  designate  the  individuals  who  shall  serve  you  in 
that  body.  To  the  honorable  and  highininded  of  all  political 
parties,  I  appeal  for  a  dignified  and  determined  assertion  of  the 
right  of  election.  Believing  as  I  do,  before  Heaven,  that  I  am 
your  constitutional  representative,  in  spite  of  the  tyrannical  and 
arbitrary  action  of  the  House;  and  believing,  too,  that  the  honor 
and  character  of  the  citizens  of  Mississippi  are  deeply  involved 
in  the  action  which  they  may  take  in  relation  to  this  matter,  I 
have  deemed  it  my  duty  to  address  to  you  some  account  of  the 
result  of  the  high  errand  upon  which  you  sent  me.  I  regret  that 
my  task  has  been  but  half  accomplished.  The  usurpers  have 
been  driven  from  the  Capitol;  but  your  representatives  have 
been  denied  admittance.  To  the  best  of  my  humble  ability,  I 
have  obeyed  your  high  behest.  It  now  devolves  upon  you  to 
assert,  in  such  manner  as  honor  and  duty  may  dictate,  your 
violated  rights. 

On  his  return  home,  the  citizens  of  Maysville  and  Louis 
ville  tendered  him  a  public  dinner  ;  but  in  both  instances 
he  modestly  declined  the  compliment.  "  Defeated  as  I  have 
been,  in  the  high  errand  upon  which  I  was  sent,  I  feel  that 
it  would  hardly  be  proper  for  me  to  tarry  by  the  way  and 
partake  of  those  honors  and  rewards,  which  belong  rather 
to  the  victor  than  the  vanquished." 

The  citizens  of  Yicksburg  had  long  been  upon  the  look 
out  for  him,  and,  on  the  night  of  his  arrival,  welcomed  him. 
with  repeated  rounds  of  cannon.  A  friend,  writing  under 
date  of  March  16,  1838,  says:  "Your  brother  was 
received  with  shouts  and  congratulations,  and  demonstra 
tions  of  joy  which  burst  all  bounds.  His  reception  must 
have  been  to  him  a  source  of  most  gratifying  pride.  A 
public  dinner  has  been  given  to  him  since  his  return,  and  I 

14* 


\ 

322  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

listened  to  his  speech  with  a  higher  and  more  exalted  admi 
ration  for  his  talents  than  ever.  He  is  a  great  man,  and 
I  am  proud  of  being  his  friend." 

His  first  intention,  upon  being  rejected,  was  to  resign  his 
scat,  to  which  he  conceived  himself  to  be  still  entitled, 
and  abandon  the  contest.  But  a  sense  of  public  duty 
and  the  entreaties  of  his  friends  overruled  this  purpose. 
He  even  consented  to  the  toil  of  another  canvass,  though 
very  much  against  his  will,  as  appears  from  the  following 
letters  : — 

TO     HIS    YOUNGEST    BEOTHEE. 

VICKSBURO,  March  16, 1888. 

DEAR  GEORGE  : — 

I  got  home  three  days  since,  after  a  most  tedious  and 
annoying  trip.  I  had  to  come  all  the  way  to  Louisville  by  stage, 
the  river  being  entirely  closed  with  ice.  My  health,  however,  was 
good;  and  I  met  with  no  accident,  saving  an  overturn,  which 
proved  entirely  harmless.  I  was  right  glad  to  get  here,  for  my 
business  has  suffered  sadly  by  my  absence  and  inattention,  since 
I  was  silly  enough  to  engage  in  politics.  Indeed,  but  for  my 
sense  of  duty,  I  should  immediately  withdraw.  I  feel  bound, 
however,  to  permit  the  neople  to  assert  their  rights  through  me, 
if  they  clioose  to  do  so.  An  election  is  ordered  on  the  fourth 
Monday  in  April ;  and  I  have  very  reluctantly  allowed  my  name 
to  be  used,  with  the  distinct  avowal,  however,  that  I  do  not  re 
cognize  the  election  as  constitutional,  but  merely  as  an  expression 
of  the  opinion  of  the  citizens — and  that  if  I  have  a  majority,  I 
shall  claim  my  seat  again,  under  the  November  election.  J  have 
also  determined,  though  I  have  not  avowed  it,  to  resign  so  soon 
as  I  get  my  seat,  even  if  re-elected,  and  to  quit  politics  for  ever 
and  aye.  But  I  deem  it  extremely  doubtful  whether  I  shall  be 
sustained  by  a  majority  of  the  people;  for  I  do  not  intend  to 
canvass  the  State,  while  my  opponents  will  do  so  and  make  the 
most  desperate  exertions.  I  am  indifferent  as  to  the  result.  My 


LETTERS.  323 

friends  here  are  all  well,  and  much  gratified  at  my  debut  in 
Congress. 

March  17. 

I  have  nothing  new  to  tell  you.  Considerable  excitement 
prevails  in  the  river  counties  upon  the  decision  of  the  election 
case;  but,  generally  speaking,  the  people  will  vote  upon  party- 
grounds  alone,  and  I  am  strongly  inclined  to  believe  that  the 
State  is  administration.  Did  I  feel  disposed  to  canvass,  I  doubt 
not  I  could  again  get  a  majority  ;  but  as  I  don't  intend  to  do 
so,  I  shall  not  be  surprised  if  the  Vanites  succeed.  For  my  part, 
I  am  heartily  sick  of  being  alternately  praised,  abused  and  belied. 
I  am  as  thoroughly  cured  of  ambition  as  were  the  Spartan  youths 
of  drunkenness,  by  viewing  the  effect  in  others.  I  am  annoyed 
to  death  by  my  friends,  who  urge  me  to  go  out  among  the  peo 
ple,  and  who  seem  to  use  all  the  exertions  I  have  made  only  as 
arguments  for  more.  As  soon  as  I  get  a  little  leisure,  I  will 
write  you  fully  of  my  views  and  feelings  upon  this  matter.  At 
present,  business  of  all  sorts,  which  has  accumulated  during  the 
winter,  distracts  my  attention,  and  hardly  affords  me  time  to 
write  this  letter.  So  good-bye,  and  don't  turn  politician. 
Your  affectionate  brother, 

SEARGENT. 


TO     HIS     SISTER     ANNA. 

VICKSBCRG,  March  25, 1885. 

MY  DEAR,  SWEET  SISTER  :— 

I  sat  down  a  week  ago,  with  my  pen  all  nibbed  (I 
^on't  know  whether  there  is  such  a  word)  to  write  you  a  letter, 
when  the  puffing  of  a  steamboat  compelled  me  to  forego  the 
pleasant  occupation,  and  travel  forthwith  to  Natchez,  in  obedi 
ence  to  the  calls  of  business.  I  have  just  returned  from  that 
place,  and  shall  proceed  at  once  to  make  both  the  apology 
and  the  reparation  for  the  wrong  I  have  done  you.  I  had 
been  at  home  only  two  or  three  days,  and  was  waiting  to 
furnish  you  with  the  best  political  information  as  to  the  state 
of  things  here  (presuming  that  you  have  become  a  violent  poll- 


324  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

tician),  when  I  was  so  suddenly  called  away.     I  did  not  leav« 
Washington  City  so  soon  by  a  week  or  ten  days  as  I  expected  to 
do,  and  I  had  a  tedious  and  most  uncomfortable  trip  home; 
all   the   way  to   Louisville  by  stage,  on  account   of  the  ice, 
which  obstructed  the  Ohio.     My  health,  however,  was  and  still 
is  admirable.     Indeed,  I  believe  I  have  a  constitution  of  steel ; 
nothing  seems  to  affect  it.     I  had  determined,  on  my  return,  to 
have  nothing  to  do  with  the  election,  and  to  resign  the  right  to 
which,  I  conceive,  I  am  still  entitled,  as  the  Representative  of 
the  State,  notwithstanding  the  outrageous  act  of  the  House  of 
Representatives.     I  found  that  the  Governor  had  ordered  a  new 
election,  and  the  people  were  determined  to  express,  at  that 
election,  their  opinions  in  relation  to  the  action  of  Congress. 
Contrary  to  my  wishes,  I  have  been  compelled  by  the  solicita 
tions  of  my  personal  and  political  friends,  to  permit  my  name  to 
be  run,  not  for  a  re-election,  but  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining 
whether  the  people  will  sustain  the  previous  election.     I  have 
distinctly  stated  to  them,  that  I  consider  myself  still  their  Repre 
sentative,  and  that  if  a  majority  of  them  sustain  me  at  the  April 
election,  I  will  again  go  on  and  claim  my  seat  under  the  old 
November  certificate ;  but  if  I  do  not  receive  a  majority  of  the 
votes,  I  will  resign,  because  1  scorn  to  vindicate  the  rights  of 
those  who  have  not  independence  enough  to  wish  it  done  for 
them.     Indeed,  so  disgusted  have  I  become  with  politics  and 
everything  connected  with  them,  that  I  shall  feel  rather  pleased 
than  otherwise  at  my  defeat.     So  far  as  I  have  seen,  however, 
everything  indicates  a  favorable  result.     I  was  received  here 
with  the  most  unbounded  enthusiasm;  and   also  at  Natchez, 
where  I  addressed  one  of  the  largest  audiences  ever  convened  in 
the  State,  among  whom  were  some  fifty  ladies  of  the  aristocracy, 
who  did  your  humble  servant  the  honor  to  sit  two  hours  in  the 
open,  public  square,  listening  to  his  political  eloquence.     I  shall 
never  be  a  candidate  again  ;  and  as  soon  as  this  matter  is  fairly 
finished,  shall  so  announce  it,  for  I  have  the  utmost  disgust  for 
politics  and  politicians  as  they  now  exist.     I  shall  have  to  visit, 
contrary  to  my  wishes,  some  of  the  interior  counties  of  the  State, 
and  shall  start  the  last  of  tins  week.     I  shall  be  gone  about  three 


HIS    SECOND    CANVASS.  32£ 

weeks.  If  I  do  not  go  on  to  Washington  City,  I  shs.^  coma 
home  in  June.  What  a  delightful  time  we  shall  have  this  sum 
mer!  and  how  fondly  and  gladly  shah1  I  turn  from  the  noisy 
commendations  of  strangers,  which  have  been  for  two  or  three 
months  dinning  in  my  ears,  to  the  warm,  sweet  and  genuine 
affections  of  my  mother  and  sisters!  Indeed,  I  love  you  all,  if 
possible,  more  than  ever,  and  wish  to  return  among  you,  like  a 
bird  to  its  nest.  Let  me  hear  from  you  very  often,  and  espe 
cially  of  your  health,  about  which  I  am  extremely  anxious. 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

SEARGENT. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  no  adequate  record  of  Mr. 
Prentiss'  various  electioneering  campaigns  through  Missis 
sippi  has  been  preserved.  Such  a  narrative,  especially  if 
accompanied  by  suitable  pictorial  embellishments,  would  be 
highly  amusing  as  well  as  instructive.  Probably  few  men 
of  his  age  ever  performed  such  feats  in  stump-speaking. 
The  mere  physical  exertions  put  forth  in  his  first  canvass 
alone,  were  enough  to  break  down  a  constitution  not  made 
of  iron.  His  second  canvass,  though  shorter,  was  still  more 
exciting  and  toilsome  than  the  first  ;  coming,  too,  upon  the 
heels  of  such  exhausting  labors  at  Washington,  it  is  a 
wonder  that  he  did  not  sink  under  it.  But  in  those  days 
his  recuperative  energies  of  body  and  mind  were  amazing. 
A  single  night  of  sleep  sufficed  to  overcome  the  fatigues  of 
a  month  ;  instead  of  rising  still  weary  and  unrefreshed, 
he  would  come  forth  like  the  sun,  and  rejoice  as  a  strong 
man  to  run  a  race.  Nothing  seemed  to  obstruct  the 
springs  of  life,  or  to  check  the  joyous  flow  of  his  wit 
and  fine  animal  spirits.  And  yet  at  this  very  time  he 
was,  no  doubt,  planting  in  his  system  the  seeds  of  disease 
and  an  untimely  death.  Such  prodigious  over-exertion  ia 
sure  to  avenge  itself  sooner  or  later. 


326  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

The  following  reminiscences  of  this  second  canvass,  will 
give  some  notion  of  its  stirring  character  : — 

I  heartily  wish  I  could  depict,  in  the  exact  colors  of  truth,  Mr. 
PBENTISS'  return  from  Washington,  and  the  storm  of  applause 
which  everywhere  met  him.  The  citizens  of  Mississippi,  it 
may  well  be  supposed,  had  watched  with  no  ordinary  interest 
the  progress  of  their  Contested  Election  through  the  House 
of  Representatives.  At  that  time  party  feeling  ran  very  high  both 
at  Washington  and  throughout  the  country.  The  conflict  between 
Van  Burenism  and  the  patriotic  Opposition,  led  on  by  Henry 
Clay  and  Daniel  Webster,  was  becoming  every  day  more  close 
and  deadly.  The  course,  therefore,  of  a  single  State,  although 
sending  but  two  Representatives,  was  a  matter  of  vital  import 
ance  :  it  might  turn  the  edge  of  battle.  This  circumstance  will 
go  far  to  explain  how  a  case  so  clear  as  that  of  the  Mississippi 
election,  should  yet  have  occupied  the  attention  of  the  House 
of  Representatives  for  nearly  three  weeks.  The  decision  in 
October,  declaring  Messrs.  Claiborne  and  Gholson  entitled  to 
their  seats  for  the  whole  25th  Congress,  had  excited  the 
astonishment  not  only  of  the  Whigs  but  of  not  a  few  Demo 
crats.  The  determination  of  those  gentlemen  to  retain  their 
seats  after  the  November  election,  changed  astonishment  into 
strong  indignation.  It  was  looked  upon  as  open  defiance  of 
the  popular  will,  and  a  gross  indignity  to  the  constitution,  laws, 
and  honor  of  the  State.*  But  in  addition  to  the  principle  in 
volved,  the  gallant  style  in  which  the  rights  of  Mississippi  had 
been  vindicated  by  Mr.  PKENTISS,  and  the  loud  plaudits  in  his 

*  The  moment,  for  example,  intelligence  reached  Jackson  that  Messrs.  Prentisi 
and  Word  had  been  denied  admittance,  a  large  public  meeting,  without  distinction 
of  party,  was  held  to  consider  the  subject.  Gen.  Foote,  Mr.  P.'s  old  antagonist, 
was  appointed  chairman,  and  a  series  of  resolutions  were  passed — of  which  this  is 
one  : — 

"  Resolved,  That  the  vote  of  the  People  of  the  State  of  Mississippi  in  the  last 
November  election,  clearly  indicates  that  Messrs.  Prentissand  Word  are  our  legally 
elected  Representatives;  and  that  any  effort  on  the  part  of  Messrs.  Claiborne  and 
Gholson  to  deprive  them  of  their  seats,  is  at  war  with  the  wishes  of  the  people — 
directly  opposed  to  their  interests — an  open  violation  of  popular  rights,  and  destruc 
tive  of  the  elective  franchise." 


ADDRESS    AT    NATCHEZ.  321 

Honor,  which  were  reverberating  through  the  nation,  reacted 
with  irresistible  force  upon  public  sentiment  at  home.  When 
the  opinion  of  his  old  friends  was  endorsed  and  re-affirmed  by 
such  orators  and  statesmen  as  Clay,  Webster,  White,  and  Crit- 
tenden,  it  seemed  to  redouble  their  own  estimate  of  him,  while 
it  for  ever  put  to  blush  the  foolish  charge  of  his  adversaries,  that 
he  was  but  a  mere  declaimer,  a  man  of  show  and  not  of  sub 
stance.  It  were  hard  to  say  whether  the  feeling  with  which  he 
was  hailed  on  reaching  Mississippi,  had  in  it  more  of  pride,  admi 
ration,  or  personal  regard ;  it  was  full  of  all  three. 

His  first  address  to  the  people  was  at  Vicksburg — at  a  meet 
ing  of  both  parties,  and  presided  over  by  the  Hon.  Wm.  L.  Shar- 
kcy,  Chief  Justice  of  the  State.  He  next  visited  Natchez,  and 
made  an  address,  which  is  remembered  to  this  day  for  its  noble 
sentiments  and  the  manly  dignity,  force  and  beauty  of  style  with 
which  they  were  uttered. 

The  speech  was  noticed  at  the  time  by  Mr.  Black,  the 
excellent  gentleman  who  then  edited  the  Natchez  Courier: — 

Our  city  yesterday  witnessed  the  greatest  assemblage  prob 
ably  ever  convened  in  this  State.  Long  before  the  appointed 
hour  the  spacious  Hall  of  the  Court-House  was  crowded  with 
anxious  expectants.  The  ladies  of  the  city  and  county  accepted 
the  proffered  invitation,  and  were  there  to  grace  the  assemblage 
with  their  presence,  and  with  their  approving  smiles  to  cheer 
the  orator  onward  in  his  glorious  career.  Before  the  time  of 
meeting  arrived  it  was  found  that  the  Hall  would  not  accommo 
date  the  vast  concourse  of  people  that  was  assembling.  Ac 
cordingly,  the  committee  of  arrangement,  with  commendablo 
alacrity,  prepared  accommodations  for  the  audience  in  the  Pub 
lic  Square,  in  the  rear  of  the  Court-House.  Seats  were  arranged 
for  the  ladies  on  the  right  and  left  of  the  speaker's  stand.  Our 
population,  even  from  the  most  distant  parts  of  the  county, 
seemed  to  have  turned  out  en  masse,  without  regard  to  party  or 
profession.  We  noticed  in  the  throng  the  hoary-headed  veteran, 
the  clergy,  and  those  who  seldom  or  never  mingle  in  the  noise  and 
tumult  of  party-strife.  The  high  expectations  of  all  wore  more 


328  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTIS3. 

than  fully  realized.  For  nearly  two  hours  did  the  orator  excite 
the  fixed  attention  of  his  auditory.  Description  in  inadequate  to 
give  a  proper  idea  of  his  powers  and  of  the  sway  he  exercises 
over  the  minds  of  his  hearers. 

Brief  pencil  notes  of  Mr.  P.'s  address  were  taken  by  a 
young  gentleman,  while  standing  in  the  crowd  ;  and  though 
only  a  rude  outline,  they  yet  afford  an  inkling  of  its  charac 
ter.  A  few  sentences  deserve  to  be  quoted  : — 

FELLOW  CITIZENS: — A  great  king  of  France  one  remarked, 
after  a  defeat  in  battle,  "all  is  lost  save  honor."  Such  may 
well  be  the  exclamation  of  the  people  of  Mississippi  at  the 
present  crisis — ALL  is  LOST  SAVE  HONOR. 

Not  many  months  since,  you  are  all  aware,  an  election  took 
place  in  this  State,  for  Representatives  in  the  Congress  of  the 
United  States,  and  I,  as  one  of  the  candidates  for  that  high 
mission,  addressed  you  on  the  great  political  questions  agitating 
the  country. 

I  now  appear  before  you  in  another  view  and  on  other 
grounds.  I  do  not  ask  the  support,  or  vote,  of  any  of  my  fellow 
citizens  of  this  State,  either  on  account  of  their  personal  friend 
ship  for  me,  or  because  they  belong  to  the  same  political  party, 
with  whose  views  I  have  generally  coincided.  I  come  before 
you  as  the  advocate  of  a  high  constitutional  principle — a  princi 
ple  before  which  all  the  little  political  quarrels  of  the  day  sink 
into  utter  insignificance,  the  great  principle  of  representation. 

I  believe  I  am  one  of  the  Representatives  to  Congress  from 
Mississippi— a  Representative  not  merely  of  my  political  friends, 
but  of  every  man,  woman  and  child  in  the  State  ;  for  the  num 
ber,  who  did  not  vote  for  me  at  the  polls  were,  afrer  my  elec 
tion,  equally  bound  with  the  larger  number,  who  did  vote  for 
me,  to  support  the  laws  and  constitution  of  the  State,  and  to 
defend  their  right  of  representation. 

However  some  of  you  may  differ  with  me  on  certain  ques 
tions,  I  trust,  fellow-citizens,  you  all  will  give  me  credit  for 
candor  in  my  political  course.  I  am  anxious  that  r.one  should 


ADDRESS    AT    NATCHEZ.  32$ 

De  in  error  rega:ding  my  views.  I  wish  to  leave  no  room  for 
misapprehension,  or  misrepresentation ;  and  to  such  an  extent 
do  I  carry  this  desire,  that  I  would  not  receive  a  single  vote 
which  I  believed  to  be  given  from  a  mistaken  idea  of  my  prin 
ciples. 

This  is  neither  the  time  nor  the  place  for  discussing  party 
questions,  nor  am  I  before  you  for  that  purpose.  But  as  it  has 
been  said  that  I  am  anxious  to  assume  new  grounds  in  view  of 
the  April  election,  I  will  refer  you  to  the  unreserved  expression 
of  my  opinions  as  I  addressed  them  to  you  before  the  November 
election,  and  remark  that  they  are  unchanged,  unmitigated  in 
every  respect.  If  any  difference  exists,  it  is  that  I  am  still 
firmer  in  my  devotion  to  them. 

I  return  to  you,  a  messenger  who  has  not  been  able  to  execute 
his  trust.  If  you  had  sent  in  November,  as  Representatives  to 
Congress,  two  good  "Democrats"  as  they  are  called,  not  the 
slightest  breath  from  that  House  would  have  impeded  their 
admission.  But  you  daf  ed  to  send  m«en  of  your  own  independ 
ent  choice,  without  consulting  the  presiding  powers  at  the 
Capitol,  and  on  that  account  are  defrauded  of  the  treasure  of  all 
others,  most  dear  to  an  American  citi/en. 

That  is  the  real  cause  why  my  colleague  and  myself  failed  in 
our  errand.  The  proud  position  which  we  held  as  the  defenders 
of  your  constitutional  rights,  impelled  us  to  the  performance  of 
our  task  with  unbounded  zeal ;  if  there  was  any  deficiency  in 
maintaining  those  rights,  want  of  ability,  not  of  perseverance,  was 
the  cause.  I,  for  my  part,  have  done  all  I  could  do  to  urge 
the  sanctity  of  your  claims.  It  is  for  you  now  to  act  and  send 
me  to  act  for  you.  The  contest  is  yours,  not  mine.  I  have  no 
personal  interest  in  it.  The  preservation  of  your  rights  invio 
late,  and  the  support  of  your  constitution  and  laws  give  me  a 
etand  elevated  far  above  any  private,  selfish  motive.  For  them 
I  would  shed  the  last  drop  of  my  blood.  I  only  regret  that 
when  the  attempt  was  made  to  fasten  dishonor  to  your  name, 
the  Senators  who  represented  you  in  the  other  wing  of  the 
Capitol,  did  not  at  oner  show  their  indignation  at  the  act, 
and  return  home  also. 


830  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

But  it  was  said  at  Washington,  that  if  a  new  election  were  tc 
be  held,  Messrs.  Gholson  and  Claiborne  would  receive  a  majority 
of  5,000  votes.  This  I  found  to  be  the  opinion  which  one  of  your 
Senators  entertained  and  had  circulated.  It  may  be  his  opinion, 
but  this  is  surely  a  curious  way  to  decide  a  great  constitutional 
question  ;  and  yet  strange  as  it  may  appear,  it  was  not  without 
its  influence.  Rely  upon  it,  chains  have  been  forged  for  you  at 
Washington  City,  and  it  is  expected  you  will  put  them  on.  Mis 
sissippi  is  still  free,  but  she  is  called  on  to  do  the  work  of  her 
own  degradation.  Will  her  proud  spirit  brook  it  ? 

I  deny  that  the  coming  election  is  valid, — it  cannot  be  under 
your  Constitution  ;  and  although  a  sense  of  honor  forbids  me  to 
resign,  I  solemnly  declare  to  you  that  if  I  am  sent  back,  I  will 
consent  to  be  sworn  only  under  the  November  certificate.  I  will 
not  take  my  seat  under  any  other  election  than  that  which  is 
held  in  accordance  with  your  Constitution  and  laws. 

Your  sacred  rights  can  be  preserved  inviolate,  under  no  other 
election  than  that  of  November.  If  it  be^not  your  wish  to  main 
tain  the  sanctity  of  those  rights  and  give  renewed  evidence  of 
the  high  importance  with  which  you  deem  them  invested,  then 
will  I  assuredly  retire.  Against  the  expressed  will  of  the  ma 
jority  never  will  I  urge  my  claims.  If  there  be  any  among  you 
willing  tamely  to  submit  to  this  humiliating  deprivation  of  your 
Elective  Franchise,  or  who  think  my  colleague  and  myself  were 
not  constitutionally  elected  in  November,  I  do  not  ask  their 
votes. 

I  reiterate,  then,  let  every  one  that  believes  that  Messrs.  Clai 
borne  and  Gholson  were  constitutionally  elected  to  the  25th 
Congress  in  July  last,  sustain  them  now.  But  if  you,  on  the 
contrary,  believe  that  in  November  last  Mr.  Word  and  myself 
were  constitutionally  elected  the  Representatives  of  the  State — 
the  whole  State  and  not  of  a  party,  you  cannot  now  consistently 
refrain  from  sustaining  us.  If  the  People  once  elect  an 
officer,  all  party  considerations  should  be  instantly  lost  sight  of, 
and  it  becomes  the  duty  of  every  citizen  to  acknowledge  and 
defend  him  as  such.  It  matters  not  whether  that  officer  be  an 
Administration  man,  Whig,  National  Bank,  State  Bank,  or  Sub- 


ADDRESS    AT    NATCHEZ.  331 

Treasury  advocate,  all  are  alike  bound  to  maintain  his  rights. 
Though  our  State  Governor  may  be  hostile  to  our  political  views, 
yet  should  some  foreign  power  attempt  to  wrest  from  him  those 
rights  which  pertain  to  his  office,  how  soon  would  all  parties 
rally  to  his  rescue.  I  did  not  vote  for  him,  but  it  is  sufficient  for 
me  to  know  that  the  popular  voice  has  made  him  our  Governor. 

In  this  contest,  I  repeat  it,  I  have  no  personal  interest  more 
than  any  other  citizen.  Did  I  not  believe  that  the  people  them 
selves  would  sustain  me  in  the  high  and  arduous  contest  for  their 
rights  and  privileges,  in  which  a  sense  of  duty  to  them  and  their 
honor  alone  prompts  me  to  continue,  I  would  at  once  have  re 
signed  ;  for  so  far  hitherto  as  I  have  trodden  the  political  path, 
I  assure  you  experience  has  left  me  no  desire  to  continue  therein. 
My  green  ambition  is  fully  satisfied  ;  a  political  life  has  no  allure 
ments  for  me. 

I  always  understood  that  constitutions  were  intended  to  guard 
against  majorities,  and  restrain  lawless  acts,  as  embankments  and 
levees  are  erected  to  prevent  overflows  of  rising  streams.  Con 
stitutional  principles  alone  can  I  look  to.  If  the  people  did  not 
think  I  was  constitutionally  elected  in  November,  well — so  let  it 
be.  But  let  us  not  submit  to  have  our  Constitution  trampled 
under  foot.  This  is  the  first  instance  in  our  history  of  legislative 
tyranny,  and  if  we  bow  our  knees  to  it,  we  only  pave  the  way 
for  a  second  violation. 

I  fear,  fellow  citizens,  the  fundamental  principles  of  our 
Constitution  are  fast  passing  away.  That  Constitution  is  like 
the  splendid  edifices  of  some  noble  city,  which  looks  as  if  it 
would  bid  defiance  to  the  ravages  of  time,  but  there  are  cata 
combs  beneath  it  which  are  gradually  undermining  its  strength 
and  may  soon  engulph  it  in  their  caverns.  Do  we  not  every  day 
see  men  lured  away  from  some  great  principle  to  support  a  little 
party  vote?  Will  you  submit  to  have  your  representation 
played  shuttlecock  with,  and  bow  to  the  errors  of  that  arbi 
trary  monarch — the  House  of  Representatives? 

The  grand  principles  of  our  Constitution  appear  to  us  exalted 
beyond  all  contingencies — all  innovations;  but  in  this  we  do 
not  repose  on  a  wholesome  security.  The  first  instance  in  which 


532  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

we  are  called  upon  to  assert  the  inviolability  of  these  principles, 
will  prove  to  us  the  extent  of  secret  plotting  which  has  been  working 
their  decay.  We  shall  find  ourselves  in  the  situation  of  a  well- 
trained  band  of  soldiers,  who,  supposing  themselves  beyond  the 
reach  of  danger,  ave  attacked  by  midnight  marauders,  and  thrown 
into  such  confusion  that  they  lose  the  benefit  of  their  disci 
pline,  and  fall  a  ready  prey  to  destruction. 

The  sacred  right  of  representation  is  the  -most  valuable  we 
possess.  If  robbed  of  it,  nothing  can  compensate  us.  You  may 
gather  all  the  principles  which  enter  into  the  Constitution 
of  our  Government — make  a  clustering  wreath  of  them,  and 
what  would  the  whole  be  worth  compared  to  the  countless 
blessings  of  representation  ? 

Reflect  well  on  your  position.  No  government  has  a  rigni  to 
surrender  vital  principles,  and  in  this  respect  individuals  and 
governments  resemble  each  other.  These  principles  are  ours 
in  trust,  not  to  exchange  and  barter  at  our  will :  if  they  were 
intended  merely  for  the  present  generation,  then,  indeed,  we 
might  surrender  them  with  less  dishonor ;  but  they  are  sacred 
rights,  vested  in  as  many  generations  as  we  can  imagine,  and 
which  we  ought  not  to  surrender  even  at  the  point  of  the  bayo 
net.  The  framers  of  the  great  Constitution  looked  down  the 
stream  of  Time  and  saw  a  thousand  generations  sitting  upon  its 
banks,  all  waiting  for  the  rich  legacy  to  be  wafted  to  them,  to 
use,  but  not  abuse  it,  and  then  waft  it  on  to  others. 

When  looking  into  futurity,  fellow-citizens,  I  contemplate 
the  rising  and  rapidly  developing  glories  of  Mississippi,  and 
behold  the  proud  destiny  opening  before  her,  she  seems  like  a  rich 
bride  reclining  on  the  arms  of  the  majestic  Father  of  Waters; 
and  amongst  her  sister  States  the  most  beautiful  of  them  all. 

But  her  honor  is  at  stake !  If  a  young  man  commit  some 
dishonorable  action  and  tarnish  his  fair  fame,  no  future  years  of 
Amendment,  however  well  spent,  can  efface  the  stain :  as  time 
rolls  onward  it  may  become  dimmer  and  dimmer,  but  the  finger 
of  envy  or  the  tongue  of  scandal  will  never  permit  it  to  be  lost 
In  oblivion.  This  State  is  now  in  the  position  of  the  young  man. 
Let  her  look  calmly  on,  and  see  her  dearest  rights  torn  from  her, 


HIS    SECOND    CANVASS.  333 

without  a  murmur  or  a  blow  struck  for  her  deliverance — let 
her  slavishly  submit  to  her  oppressor's  mandate,  and  an  indelible 
stain  will  remain  upon  her  to  the  latest  generations.  Let  not 
party  spirit  recklessly  affix  this  stigma  upon  her  escutcheon,  but 
let  us  a  1,  in  the  united  and  invincible  strength  of  freemen,  rally 
to  the  support  of  the  Constitution. 

I  deprecate  all  excitement  not  belonging  to  the  true  question 
before  the  people.  But  I  regret  to  see  that  one  of  the  late  mem 
bers  has  not  the  same  feelings.  Having  given  up  all  other  sub 
jects,  he  has  taken  to  Abolitionism,  and  seems  to  wish  this  great 
constitutional  question  decided  as  Abolition  or  no  Abolition. 
It  is  true  he  does  not  charge  upon  me,  or  any  other  individual, 
Abolition  doctrines ;  but  what  is  the  fair  inference  to  be  drawn 
from  this  parade  of  his  anti-Abolition  principles,  in  a  question 
where  there  is  not  the  shadow  of  an  excuse  for  introducing 
them.  I  deprecate,  with  the  utmost  regret,  this  attempt  to  throw 
firebrands  around  us. 

And,  now,  in  conclusion,  I  thank  the  fair  portion  of  ray 
hearers  for  the  attention  they  have  paid  to  the  discussion  of  the 
important  principles  brought  forward  in  this  address.  Upon  the 
maintenance  of  these  principles,  so  dearly  prized  by  every  lover 
of  our  civil  institutions,  their  happiness  and  interests  depend. 
Yes,  I  appeal  to  them  also,  and  am  confident  they  would  see 
those  most  dear  to  them — their  husbands,  sons,  brothers,  and 
their  sweethearts — exposed  to  all  the  hazards  of  war,  rather  than 
that  through  inertness  or  want  of  the  spirit  of  patriotism,  they 
should  shrink  from  a  fearless  and  manful  support  of  the  Consti 
tution. 

We  now  return  to  the  reminiscences  : 

In  the  spirit  of  his  speech  at  Natchez,  Mr.  PRENTISS  conducted 
the  canvass  throughout.  One  of  his  opponents  made  nc 
opeeches,  but  flitting  through  the  State  sub  silentio,  spent  his 
time  very  diligently  in  writing  letters,  issuing  defences  of  hia 
course,  and  trying  to  persuade  the  people  of  Mississippi  that 
Mr.  Clay  was  in  close  alliance  with  the  Northern  Abolitionists 


834  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

Gen.  James  Davis  (who  took  the  place  of  Mr.  Gholson,  tin 
latter  having  declined  running),  canvassed  the  State,  but,  after 
one  or  two  encounters  with  Mr.  PKENTISS,  chose  a  different  route 
from  his  antagonist.  Mr.  P.  also  broke  a  lanue  with  other 
generals,  and  redoubtable  leaders  of  the  Administration  party, 
while  traversing  the  State — and  were  it  worth  the  while,  a 
whole  chapter  might  be  filled  with  amusing  scenes  of  mishap 
and  overthrow  which  befell  them.  No  man  was  rash  enough 
to  enter  the  lists  against  him  in  this  contest  without  being 
smitten  to  the  earth.  Some  gentlemen,  since  noted  in  public 
life,  could  readily  bear  witness  to  this  fact  in  their  own  persons; 
and  many  are  the  citizens  of  Copiah  and  other  counties,  who 
could  attest  it  as  delighted  spectators  of  the  affray.* 

There  is  no  end  to  the  anecdotes  illustrative  of  the  power  of 
his  oratory.  On  one  occasion,  while  he  was  speaking  in  his 
most  fascinating  manner,  an  old  Democrat  present  became  so 
charmed  and  excited,  that,  at  the  conclusion  of  the  address,  he 
walked  towards  him,  and  ripping  his  coat  open  behind,  as  he 
did  so,  cried  out:  u  Well  they  may  call  me  a  turn-coat,  if  they 
choose;  but  I  won't  be  that — I  shall  just  back  out  of  my  coat, 
and  vote  for  S.  S.  Premiss  and  T.  J.  Word." 

Numerous  devices  were  resorted  to  by  his  opponents  (such  as 
the  cry  of  Abolitionism  against  Mr.  Clay),  in  order  to  divert  the 
attention  of  the  people  from  the  real  point  at  issue  ;  but  it  was 
all  in  vain.  All  in  vain,  too,  were  the  affectionate  messages 
from  Washington,  entreating  the  faithful  Democracy  not  to 
allow  Messrs.  Premiss  and  Word  to  be  returned.  After  a  can 
vass  of  unparalleled  energy  on  the  part  of  the  Administration 
forces,  they  were  triumphantly  sustained.  I  say  "triumph- 

*  In  a  letter  dated  Vicksburg,  April  18, 1888,  the  friend  already  referred  to,  writes  : 
u  Your  brother  left  here  the  1st  day  of  April,  with  the  intention  of  traversing  the 
middle,  eastern,  and  northern  portions  of  the  State.  He  is  to-day  in  Pontotoc.  I 
heard  from  him  in  Copiah,  a  strong  Van  Buren  county,  where  the  people  were 
actually  so  proud  of  him  and  the  stand  he  had  taken,  that  after  he  had  finished  hia 
speech,  and  they  had  thundered  their  applause,  they  bore  him  aloft  in  the  crowd 
on  their  shoulders  to  his  hotel,  shouting  all  the  while — Hurrah  ft  r  Prentis*  ! 
Prentiss  for  ever!  Wherever  he  goes,  shouts  of  applause,  public  dinners,  tha 
gratulations  and  admiration  of  friends  and  foes  mark  his  progress.  His  election 
U  looked  upon  here  as  certain." — ED. 


HIS    SECOND    CANVASS. 


335 


antly;"  for  although  Mr.  PREXTISS  himself  was  rather  mortified 
at  the  result,  it  was  indeed,  under  the  circumstances,  a  genuine 
victory  of  patriotism  and  the  Constitution  over  mere  party 
interests  and  selfish  demagogism. 

A  few  specimens  of  the  returns  of  this  election  as  comparer' 
with  those  of  July  and  November,  1837,  will  perhaps  interest 
you.  Mr.  Claiborue  was  the  highest  candidate  on  the  other 
side. 

The  aggregate  vote  was  less  than  in  November :  but  at  that 
time,  it  should  be  remembered,  the  biennial  State  elections,  as 
well  as  that  for  members  of  Congress,  were  he-Id.  At  a  special 
election,  it  is  always  extremely  difficult  to  call  out  a  large  class 
of  the  people  ;  so  that  in  truth,  the  vote  in  April  was  a  stronger 
expression  of  the  popular  sentiment  than  that  of  November. 


JULY,    1837. 

NOVKMBKR,   1837. 

APKIL,    1838. 

Counties. 

Prentiss. 

Clnibome. 

Prentiss. 

Claiborne 

Prentiss. 

Claiborne. 

Adams. 

577 

'210 

610 

136 

693 

299 

Madison. 

540 

361 

709 

104 

621 

279 

Hancock. 

22 

49 

26 

116 

129 

22 

Hinds. 

837 

595 

1247 

128 

1107 

403 

Lowndes. 

367 

549 

437 

604 

532 

Newton. 

1 

112 

46 

88 

65 

137 

Tisheningo. 

3 

364 

31 

354 

57 

272 

Warren. 

408 

181 

870 

248 

773 

264 

Chickasaw. 

16 

86 

24 

5 

45 

82 

Yalobusha. 

182 

456 

478 

500 

507 

466 

Noxubee. 

254 

328 

279 

3 

351 

406 

Carroll. 

252 

850 

549 

281 

500 

36? 

These  figures  indicate  better  than  any  words  could  do,  the 
effect  of  Mr.  PRENTISS'  speeches  and  personal  popularity  upon 
the  canvass.* 


*  This  period  may  be  considered  the  golden  prime  of  the  genius  of  PRENTISS  He 
had  the  whole  State  for  his  audience,  the  honor  of  the  State  for  his  subject.  He 
came  well  armed  and  well  equipped  for  the  warfare.  Not  content  with  challenging 
his  comjetitors  to  the  field,  he  threw  down  the  gauntlet  to  all  comers.  Party,  or 
ambition,  or  some  other  motive,  constrained  several  gentlemen — famous  before, 
notorious  afterwards — to  meet  him.  In  every  instance  of  such  temerity,  the  opposei 
was  made  to  bite  the  dust. 

The  ladies  surrounded  the  rostrum  with  their  carriages,  and  added  by  their 
beauty,  interest  to  the  scene.  There  was  no  element  of  jratory  that  his  genius  did 


336  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

It  would  be  unjust  not  to  say,  in  tins  connection,  that  his 
colleague,  Mr.  Word,  who  was  a  gentleman,  of  excellent  charac 
ter  and  abilities,  contributed  not  a  little  to  the  successful  issue. 

The  utmost  delight  was  felt  at  the  result  of  this  election,  not 
only  in  Mississippi,  but  throughout  the  Union.  No  case  of  the 
kind  had  ever  excited  such  universal  attention.  The  progress 
of  the  canvass  was  watched  with  especial  interest  at  Washing 
ton;  Mr.  PKENTISS'  appearance  there  having  attracted  to  him 
the  warm  affection  of  not  a  few,  and  the  admiration  of  all  the 
members  of  his  party.  His  defeat  would  have  been  a  personal 
disappointment  to  almost  every  Whig  in  the  country,  and  not 
least  to  such  men  as  Clay,  Orittenden,  Preston,  Southard,  and 
the  venerable  Judge  White,  who  were  among  his  warmest 
admirers. 

The  enthusiasm  of  his  friends  in  Mississippi  was  unbounded. 
Their  hearts  had  become  so  enlisted  in  the  contest,  that  some  of 
them  were  quite  beside  themselves  with  joy  ;  they  almost  saw 
the  advent  of  a  Whig  millennium  in  the  triumph  of  their  favor 
ite  candidate.  But,  alas !  it  was  not  long  before  the  delusion 
vanished.  Something  very  different  from  a  Whig  millenium,  or 
even  decennium,  awaited  the  politics  of  Mississippi ! 


not  supply.  It  was  plain  to  see  whence  his  boyhood  had  drawn  its  romantic 
inspiration.  His  imagination  was  colored  and  imbued  with  the  light  of  the  sha 
dowy  past,  and  was  richly  stored  with  the  unreal  but  life-like  creations,  which  the 
genius  of  Shakspeare  and  Scott  had  evoked  from  the  ideal  world.  He  had  lin 
gered,  spell-bound,  among  the  scenes  of  mediaeval  chivalry.  His  spirit  had  dwelt, 
until  almost  naturalized,  in  the  mystic  dream-land  they  peopled— among  paladins, 
and  crusaders,  'and  knights-templars ;  with  Monmouth  and  Percy— with  Bois-Guil- 
bert  and  Ivanhoe,  and  the  bold  McGregor— with  the  cavaliers  of  Rupert,  and  the 
iron  enthusiasts  o.f  Bairfax.  The  fluency  of  his  speech  was  unbroken— no  syllable 
unpronounced— not  a  ripple  on  the  smooth  and  brilliant  tide.  Probably  he  never 
hesitated  for  a  word  in  his  life.  His  diction  adapted  itself,  without  effort,  to  the 
thought ;  now  easy  and  familiar,  now  stately  and  dignified,  now  beautiful  and 
various  as  the  hues  of  the  rainbow,  again  compact,  even  rugged  in  sinewy  strength, 
or  lofty  and  grand  in  eloquent  declamation. 

With  such  abilities,  and  surrounded  by  such  circumstances,  he  progressed  it 
the  canvass,  making  himself  the  equal  favorite  of  all  classes.  It  was  less  a 
canvass  than  an  ovation.  Old  Democrats  were  seen,  with  tears  running  down 
their  cheeks,  laughing  hysterically;  and  some  who,  ever  since  the  formation 
of  parties,  had  voted  the  Democratic  ticket,  from  coroner  up  to  governor,  threw  up 
their  hats  and  shouted  for  him.—  United  States  Law  Magazine,  May,  1852. 


ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CANVASS.  337 

It  would  require  the  pencil  of  a  Wilkie,  and  the  pen 
of  a  Dickens,  to  do  justice  to  the  comical  scenes,  which 
relieved  the  weariness  and  mental  toils  of  this  canvass. 
The  hero  of  the  campaign  himself  thus  described  two  or 
three  in  responding  to  a  toast  at  the  New  England  dinner 
in  New  Orleans,  after  his  removal  to  that  city. 

MR.  PRENTISS  replied  in  his  happiest  style.  In  the  course  of 
his  speech  he  told  two  of  his  electioneering  reminiscences, 
which  "set  the  table  in  a  roar."  He  said  that  some  dozen 
years  ago  he  went  to  Washington,  thinking  he  was  a  member 
of  Congress,  but  he  found  his  mistake  and  came  home  as 
fast  as  possible  to  get  right.  He  sent  printed  bills,  con 
taining  his  appointments,  several  weeks  ahead  of  him.  Now 
there  was  a  caravan  just  at  this  time  perambulating  the  State, 
and  the  proprietor  availed  himself  of  the  gathering  collected  by 
Mr.  P.'s  notices.— This,  by  the  way,  said  Mr.  P.,  was  quite  in  the 
ordinary  course  of  things,  as  an  observer  of  political  excitements 
must  have  remarked,  that  a  caravan  of  some  kind  or  other 
usually  follows  in  their  wake. 

The  first  time  Mr.  P.  "saw  the  elephant"  was  in county, 

in  the  northern  part  of  the  State,  near  the  Alabama  line.  t  It  is 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  counties  in  Mississippi,  its  population 
chiefly  from  South  Carolina,  and  though  they  had  voted  against 
him  at  the  previous  election,  he  hoped  their  State  rights  notions 
would  bring  them  into  his  support  at  this  contest,  when  he  did 
not  run  so  much  the  candidate  of  a  party  as  the  representative 
of  the  State,  whose  dignity  and  sovereignty  had  been  outraged 
in  his  person.  At  the  appointed  hour  he  found  over  three  hun 
dred  ladies  and  gentlemen  assembled  to  hear  him.  He  was  in 
"high  feather"  and  began  to  speak  with  more  than  usual  energy. 
The  audience  listened  with  marked  attention,  and  he  felt  sure  of 
bagging  his  game.  When  he  had  spoken  about  an  hour  he  ob 
served  some  of  the  outsiders  looking  over  their  shoulders,  and 
this  movement  was  gradually  followed  by  more  of  his  audience. 
He  began  to  think  he  was  growing  dull,  and  endeavored  to 

15 


338  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

rouse  himself  up  to  more  animation ;  but  it  was  all  in  vain.  He 
at  length  looked  in  the  popular  direction,  and  there,  to  his  horror, 
just  coming  over  the  hill,  was  the  elephant,  dressed  in  his  scar 
let  trappings  and  oriental  splendor,  with  a  houdah  on  his  back, 
occupied  by  the  musicians,  and  in  the  rear  came  a  long  line 
of  wagons  and  cages.  A  foolish  feeling  of  vanity,  not  to  be 
outdone  by  the  elephant,  came  over  him,  and  he  continued  to 
talk,  appealing  to  the  people  in  the  name  of  the  State,  their 
patriotism,  &c.,  &c.,  but  all  in  vain.  A  few  well  mannered  per 
sons  remained,  but  evidently  they  were  retained  only  by  their 
politeness. 

He  found  it  was  of  no  use.  So  he  .said :  "  Well,  ladies  and  gen 
tlemen,  I  am  beaten ;  but  I  have  the  consolation  of  knowing  that 
it  is  not  by  my  competitor.  I  will  not  knock  under  to  any  two- 
legged  beast,  but  I  yield  to  the  elephant."  To  be  sure,  he  was 
at  first  provoked  by  the  preference  shown  to  the  beast  above 
himself,  but  on  reflection  he  was  inclined  to  think  the  people 
were  right.  A  Bengal  tiger  or  an  Indian  elephant  was  an  ani 
mal  to  be  seen  once  in  a  lifetime,  but  politicians  they  could  see 
every  day.* 

He  said,  however,  he  had  his  revenge  a  few  days  after.  He 
found  that  he  must  come  to  some  understanding  with  the  cara 
van.  So  he  agreed  with  the  proprietor  that  at  Holly  Springs  he 
would  address  the  people  under  the  great  awning  for  one  hour, 
and  then  he  would  give  way  to  the  monkey  and  the  clown.  He 
hoped  this  would  not  be  charged  on  him  as  u  bargain  and  cor 
ruption."  At  any  rate,  it  was  honestly  carried  out  by  both  par 
ties.  Between  himself  and  the  caravan,  a  large  assemblage  was 


*  But  alas !  for  the  days  that  we  have  seen,  when  "  there  were  giants  in,  th« 
earth,"  when  PRENTISS  could  take  a  whole  caravan,  elephant  and  all,  after  him  I 
Now  half  a  dozen  candidates  can  only  scare  up  a  single  monkey. 

About  that  elephant,  by  the  way,  there  is  one  anecdote  which  we  leard  substan- 
Mally  from  one  of  the  parties,  but  have  never  seen  it  in  print.  P.'s  friend, 
A.  M.,  resented  the  interference  on  the  part  of  the  elephant,  very  highly,  and 
offered  to  be  the  bearer  of  a  letter  to  him.  "  I  wouldn't  notice  him,  Andy,"  was 
PRENTISS'  reply,  "  he's  no  gentleman ;  don't  you  see  he  carries  his  own  trunk." 
It  is  well  known  that  a  compromise  was  afterwards  effected  according  to  which 
they  divided  the  time  and  the  pavilion;  PRENTISS  taking  the  lion's  share.  Th* 
Prairie  News.  Okolona,  Miss.,  Oct.  20, 1853. 


SECOND    CANVASS.  333 

gathered  under  the  immense  awning.  One  of  the  cages  was 
converted  into  a  rostrum.  He  heard  a  low  sound  which  resem 
bled  a  growl,  and  learned  that  the  hyena  was  his  nearest  listener. 
There  were  large  auger  holes  in  the  top  of  the  box,  for  the 
admission  of  air.  He  commenced  speaking,  and  when  he 
reached  the  blood  and  thunder  portion  of  his  speech,  he  ran  his 
cane  into  the  cage  and  called  forth  a  most  horrible  yell  from  the 
enraged  animal,  at  the  same  time  gesticulating  violently  with 
the  other  hand.  u  Why,  fellow  citizens,"  he  would  exclaim, 
u  the  very  wild  beasts  are  shocked  at  the  political  baseness  and 
corruption  of  the  times !  See  how  this  worthy  fellow  just  below 
me  is  scandalized !  Hear  his  yell  of  patriotic  shame  and 
indignation!"  The  effect  was  electric;  he  called  down  the 
house  in  a  perfect  tempest  of  enthusiasm.  From  this  time  he 
had  it  all  his  own  way.  He  hurled  his  anathemas  at  his  foes, 
and  enforced  them  by  the  yells  of  his  neighbor.  The  hyena  was 
good  for  a  hundred  votes,  and  he  thus  converted  a  mischief  into 
a  profit. 

In  a  letter  to  his  sister  Abby,  he  thus  announces  his 
return  to  Vicksburg  : — 

VICKSBURG,  May  3, 1838 
MY  DEAK  SISTER  : — 

I  returned  day  before  yesterday  from  my  election 
eering  tour,  after  an  absence  of  nearly  five  w*eeks.  Among  the 
luxuries  which  awaited  my  arrival,  were  letters  from  yourself 
and  Anna,  for  which  I  thank  you  both  heartily ;  and  in  return 
will  give  you  some  little  account  of  myself.  First  of  all,  I  sup 
pose  you  have  become  such  politicians,  that  you  will  be  anxious 
to  learn  the  result  of  the  election.  "Well,  then,  to  set  your  minds 
easy  on  that  score,  I  have  no  doubt  of  my  election  and  very  lit 
tle  of  Mr.  Word's  ;  nearly  all  the  State  has  been  heard  from,  and 
the  remaining  portion  cannot  change  the  result.  A  most  des 
perate  effort  has  been  made  by  the  Van  Buren  party  to  beat  me, 
but  without  success.  My  majority,  however,  will  not  be  large, 
about  1500,  though  I  am  foremost.  Had  I  not  gone  out  among 
the  people,  and  exerted  myself,  I  should  have  been  beaten.  I  shall 


340  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

start  for  Washington  City  in  about  ten  days  or  two  weeks,  and 
expect  to  get  there  before  they  adjourn.  In  a  few  days  after  the 
adjournment,  I  shall  be  with  you ;  and  a  most  delightful  change 
it  will  be,  after  the  bustle  of  politics  and  business  in  which  I 
have,  for  the  last  six  months,  been  so  deeply  immersed.  I  had  a 
somewhat  laborious,  but  otherwise  pleasant  trip  through  the 
State  ;  enjoyed  excellent  health,  and  was  received  with  great 
enthusiasm  by  my  political  friends.  However,  I  am  heartily 
tired  of  the  dear  people,  and  shall  leave  them  hereafter  to  man 
age  their  own  affairs.  Who  do  you  think  is  sitting  by  me,  read 
ing  your  letter?  It  is  S. ;  he  popped  in.  very  unexpectedly  to 
day.  He  has  been  to  New  Orleans  and  is  on  his  return.  His 
health  is  good,  and  I  rather  think  he  will  be  with  you  soon  after 
this  letter.  I  shall  write  you  immediately  after  my  arrival  at 
Washington  City,  and  shall  expect  to  hear  from  you  often  while 
there.  Tell  Anna  she  must  not  allow  the  doctor  to  prohibit  her 
writing  letters  to  me,  and  you  must  take  good  care  of  your 
health  too,  or  it  will  spoil  all  our  pleasure  this  summer.  Good  bye. 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

SEAEGENT. 

In  a  letter,  dated  Yicksburg,  May  17,  1838,  a  legal 
friend,  now  a  leading  member  of  the  Mississippi  bar, 
writes  : — 

Your  brother  takes  his  departure  for  Washington  in  a  few 
hours,  and  I  cannot  let  him  leave  without  conveying  to  you  the 
joy  which  I,  in  common  with  nearly  every  one  around  me, 
feel  at  his  re-election.  But  I  have  not  time  to  dwell  a  moment 
upon  it.  He  will  see  you  himself  soon,  and  can  tell  you  more 
in  an  hour  than  I  could  write  you  in  a  week.  There  is  one 
matter,  however,  about  which  he  cannot  and  will  not  speak 
as  freely  as  I  both  can  and  will — and  that  is,  an  address  which 
lie  delivered  last  night.  It  was  to  a  jury,  upon  the  destruc 
tion  of  the  cotton-shed,  built  by  the  Railroad  Bank  on  tho 
Common — on  that  portion  of  it  sold  by  him  to  the  Bank.  He 
"spoke  two  hours ;  and  I  never  in  all  my  life  conceived  of  such 


CLAIMS  HIS  SEAT  UXDER  NOVEMBER  CERTIFICATE.          341 

a  speech — so  bitter,  so  sarcastic,  so  caustic.  For  the  world  I 
would  not  have  been  a  member  of  the  corporation.  I  never 
felt  so  little  and  humbled  in  my  own  estimation.  I  almost  de 
termined  never  to  open  my  mouth  in  the  presence  of  the  same 
persons  again.  Oh,  would  that  you  could  have  heard  it !  Holt 
spoke  in  the  same  cause  ;  but  his  speech  was  the  report  of  a  single 
cannon,  while  your  brother's  was  the  roar  of  a  thousand.  Indeed, 
I  do  not  exaggerate.  Friends  and  foes  agree  that  it  is  the  best 
speech  they  ever  heard  from  him,  or  any  one  else,  at  the  bar  of 
justice.  The  jury  are  still  considering  the  matter.  They  will, 
doubtless,  bring  in  the  full  amount  of  damages  claimed. 

The  morning  after  reaching  Washington,  he  presented 
niraself  in  the  House  of  Representatives  to  be  sworn  in.  As 
Mr.  Polk  descended  from  the  Speaker's  desk  to  administer 
the  usual  oath,  Mr.  Prentiss  remarked  that,  before  taking  it, 
"  candor  compelled  him  to  inform  the  House,  on  behalf  of 
himself  and  colleague,  that  they  did  not  claim  their  seats  by 
virtue  of  the  recent  election  in  Mississippi,  but  by  virtue  of 
the  election  in  November  last  ;  that  they  looked  upon  the 
recent  election  as  unconstitutional  and  wholly  invalid."  He 
further  said  that  "  his  colleague  and  himself  could  not  con 
scientiously  take  the  oath  under  any  other  election  than 
that  of  November,  and  that  upon  their  consciences  they 
should  take  their  oaths  and  seats,  if  they  took  them  at  all, 
by  virtue  of  that  election  alone.  A  high  sense  of  duty  both 
to  himself  and  the  House,  called  upon  him  for  this  avowal, 
that  if  any  wished  to  make  objection,  they  might  have  the 
opportunity  for  so  doing." 

While  he  was  making  these  remarks,  Mr.  Polk  resumed 
his  seat  ;  at  their  close,  no  objection  being  offered  by  any 
member  of  the  House,  he  returned  to  the  clerk's  table,  and 
handing  the  Bible  to  Mr.  Prentiss  and  his  colleague  to  kiss, 
forthwith  s^ore  them  in.  Yet  the  House  had  solemnly 
decided,  only  a  few  weeks  before,  that  *he  November  eleo« 


342  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

tion  was  invalid,  and,  on  the  ground  of  that  invalidity,  had 
refused  to  acknowledge  the  identical  certificates,  under 
which  Messrs.  Prentiss  and  Word  now  obtained  their  seats!* 
The  following  letter  shows  that  he  did  not  place  a  very 
extravagant  estimate  upon  his  hard-won  honors  :— 

TO      HIS     SISTER     ANNA. 

WASHINGTON  CITY,  June  2, 1838. 
MY  DEAR  SISTER: — 

Here  I  am  at  last,  a  member  of  Congress,  and  no 
man,  I  imagine,  ever  labored  as  hard  for  the  poor  privilege  of 
having  M.  0.  at  one  end  of  his  name,  and  Hon.  at  the  other. 
The  bauble  seems  scarcely  worth  the  wearing,  notwithstanding 
I  fought  so  fiercely  for  it,.  '  I  arrived  here  some  three  days  since  ; 
and  as  yon  have  already  learned,  fell  in  with  G.  on  the  way. 
He  immediately  turned  in  to  writing  letters  so  fast,  that  it  took 
most  of  my  leisure  to  frank  them,  which  is  the  reason  I  have 
not  paid  my  respects  to  you  sooner.  I  was  very  glad  to  see  G., 
and  hear  from  you  all,  and  was  somewhat  disappointed  at  not 
finding  letters  from  you  awaiting  my  arrival,  as  I  presumed  you 
had  heard  of  my  election  many  days  ago.  I  suppose  S.  is 
with  you  by  this  time,  and  I  hope  to  be  there  soon  myself. 
Congress  will  probably  adjourn  sometime  between  the  first  and 
middle  of  July.  I  care  not  how  early,  for  I  am  already  tired 
of  the  place.  Dullness  seems  to  be  its  presiding  deity,  and 
to  hold  special  sway  over  the  deliberations  of  the  honorable 
body  to  which  I  belong.  I  trust  you  and  Abby  will  both  be 
well  when  I  get  home,  for  I  anticipate  some  famous  times  with 
you.  In  making  your  plans,  don't  forget  a  trip  to  the  White 
Hills.  I  shall  expect  to  hear  from  you  all  very  often,  and  shall 
not  fail  to  be  a  frequent  correspondent  myself,  though  if  you  are 
much  of  a  politician,  you  will  doubtless  be  disappointed,  as  I 
take  very  little  interest  in  that  subject.  However,  as  I  become 

*  The  certificate  of  Gov.  McNutt  is  among  Mr.  P.'s  papers,  with  the  following 
endorsement:  "Credentials  for  Congress,  under  April  election,  188S  (not  taken  on, 
or  used  at  all).  I  refused  t«  acknowledge  the  validity  of  this  election,  and  did  not 
present  the  credentials,  but  claimed  under  the  old  election  of  November,  1887.— 
B.  S.  P." 


CHARACTERISTIC    INCIDENT.  343 

more   involved  in  my  new  mode  of  life,  I  may  like  it  better 
Good  bye. 

Ever  your  affectionate  brother, 

SEAKOENT. 

The  following  incident,  mentioned  in  a  letter  from  Mr 
Word,  is  too  characteristic  to  be  omitted  : 

There  is  one  matter,  to  which  I  deem  it  of  importance  to  call 
your  attention.  Being  Mr.  PKENTISS'  junior,  and  quite  unknown 
till  associated  with  him,  he  had  great  influence  over  me;  he 
always  avoided  exercising  it,  however,  as  much  as  possible 
When  we  returned  to  Washington  City,  the  pay  was  due  us  for 
per  diem,  and  our  mileage  for  two  trips ;  for  we  had  both  deter 
mined  to  receive  nothing  in  case  the  People  of  Mississippi  con 
firmed  the  vote  of  the  House  rejecting  us.  We  acted  on  the 
ground  that  if  we  had  no  right  to  our  seats,  we  were  not  entitled 
to  pay  for  going  on  and  contesting  them.  Soon  after  we  reached 
Washington,  in  May,  1838,  Mr.  PRENTISS  suggested  to  me  to  draw 
my  pay ;  I  did  so,  and  received  what  the  law  allowed  me ;  to 
wit— mileage  for  both  trips,  about  $1600  each,  and  per  diem  for 
the  time  we  had  been  in  attendance  upon  Congress,  contesting 
our  seats.  Shortly  after  this,  he  informed  me  that  he  should 
not  take  the  second  mileage — that  we  had  been  unjustly  deprived 
of  our  rights  and  compelled  to  return  home,  when  we  ought  to 
have  been  performing  the  duties  committed  to  us  by  our  con 
stituents.  He  had  refrained,  he  said,  from  communicating  to  me 
his  intention,  lest  I  should  think  it  more  in  accordance  with 
propriety  to  adopt  the  same  course,  and  that  he  had  suggested 
to  me  to  draw  my  pay,  at  the  time  he  did,  in  order  that  I  might 
act  without  reference  to  him. 

It  has  been  stated  to  me,  that  when  he  drew  his  pay,  he 
charged  for  the  first  mileage,  and  per  diem  for  the  whole  time 
after  he  first  presented  his  credentials  to  the  House,  and  that 
this  was  tlie  sum  he  actually  received.  This  would  be  less  by 
some  $750  or  $800,  than  the  two  mileage?,  and  per  diem  during 
the  time  we  were  actually  there.  He  told  me  himself,  that  ho 


344  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

settled  his  account  in  that  way.  But  it  has  also  been  stated  tft 
me,  that,  by  some  strange  mistake  of  the  Clerk  of  the  House, 
Mr.  PRENTISS  is  charged  the  larger  sum,  whilst  I  am  charged  the 
smaller,  and  that  a  balance  appears  on  the  books  to  my  credit 
and  none  to  his.  This,  if  true  (and  I  have  no  reason  to  doubt  it 
is  so),  ought  to  be  adjusted.  His  honored  name  and  his  high 
sense  of  justice  ought  not  to  be  thus  left.  Make  the  proper 
inquiries,  and  I  stand  ready  to  have  the  funds  passed  to  his 
credit,  or  to  draw  them  for  his  family,  to  whom  they  most 
justly  belong.* 

After  his  return,  he  took  little  part  in  the  business  or 
debates  of  the  House.  His  principal  speech  was  upon  the 
Sub-Treasury  Bill.  This  bill,  embodying  the  financial 
policy  of  the  Administration,  was  opposed  by  the  Whigs 
and  Conservatives  as  a  measure  fraught  with  almost  every 
kind  and  degree  of  political  evil.  It  is  hard- at  this  late 
day,  to  credit  the  amount  of  party  and  even  personal  feel 
ing,  engendered  by  this  scheme.  Hostility  to  it  was  long  a 
favorite  war-cry  of  the  Whigs.  It  was  the  great  matter 
of  discussion  during  this  session  of  the  25th  Congress. 

"  Never,"  said  Mr.  Prentiss,  in  a  speech  delivered  by  him 
in  New  York  a  few  weeks  after  the  adjournment,  "  never 
was  there  fought  a  political  battle  worthier  of  lasting  fame 
for  the  immense  display  of  talent  which  it  summoned  into 
action.  The  Administration,  with  its  forces  well-drilled  in 
all  the  strategy  and  manoeuvres  of  partisan  warfare,  came 
on  in  solid  phalanx,  confident  of  success.  Day  after  day 
did  the  contest  rage  in  the  Senatorial  wing  of  the  Capitol. 
There  the  great  men  of  the  nation  were  arrayed  against 
each  other.  It  was,  indeed,  a  battle  of  the  giants.  There 
was  Daniel  of  the  North,  with  his  huge  battle-axe,  which 
none  but  himself  could  wield,  and  which  none  could  resist. 

*  Mr.  Word  was  misinformed  on  the  last  point.     The  balance,  as  stated  above^ 
was  found  on  the  Clerk's  books,  credited  to  Mr.  P. — ED. 


LETTERS.  345 

He  struck  the  Administration  to  the  knee,  and  then,  like 
Satan,  it 

'  First  knew  pain, 

And  writh'd  it  to  and  fro  convolv'd.' 

Again  it  arose  and  again  was  smitten  down  by  the  same 
strong  arm.  There,  too,  in  the  thickest  of  the  fight,  might 
you  see  Harry  of  the  West,  with  his  double-edged  sword, 
like  that  of  Richard  Coeur  de  Lion,  hewing  down  all 
before  him.  There,  too,  against  him,  was  the  Saladin  of 
the  South,  with  turbaned  head,  and  the  keen-pointed  scimi 
tar  of  logic  in  his  hand  ;  he  had  lately  joined  the  Moslem 
ranks,  carrying  with  him  the  skill  and  science  of  a  Christian 
general.  His  weapon  cut  through  obstacles,  which  could 
not  be  harmed  by  the  ponderous,  axe  and  sword  of  his 
adversaries. 

After  long  and  fierce  encounters,  the  lance  of  the  Admin 
istration  was  wrested  from  them  and  they  were  driven  in 
dishonor  from  the  Capitol." 

The  following  letters  show  how  completely  the  journey 
ings,  toil  and  excitement  of  the  past  nine  months  had  worn 
him  out. 

TO     HIS     SISTEE     ABBT. 

REPRESENTATIVE  HALL,  June  14,  1838. 

DEAR  SISTER: —        v 

I  have  been  so  busy  since  I  arrived  here,  that  1 
have  hardly  had  time  to  write  at  all.  I  will  not,  however,  allow 
this  excuse  to  operate  any  longer.  I  have  nothing  either  new 
or  interesting  to  tell  you.  The  weather  has  been,  and  still  is, 
oppressively  warm,  and  legislation  stupidly  dull.  I  am  already 
thoroughly  tired  of  the  place.  I  made  a  short  speech  the  other 
day  on  the  pre-emption  bill,  as  it  is  called,  which,  perhaps,  I 
may  write  out  for  publication.  In  the  course  of  next  week,  the 
great  measure  of  the  Administration,  the  Sub-Treasury  scheme, 
•will  probably  come  up  for  discussion ;  when  it  comes  up,  it  i« 

15* 


346  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

expected  that  I  shall  make  a  speech  against  it,  and  1  shall,  IE 
all  probability,  do  so.  I  hope  for  an  early  adjournment,  but 
fear  the  sitting  will  continue  until  the  middle  of  July.  I  arn 
extremely  anxious  to  be  with  you.  I  shall  enjoy  -myself  very 
much,  I  know,  this  summer.  I  have  been  so  much  engaged 
since  last  fall,  and  have  labored  so  hard,  both  physically  and 
mentally,  that  a  little  rest  will  be  a  luxury  to  me  of  itself;  how 
much  more  so  when  enjoyed  at  home  with  those  I  love  so 
well.  You  must  all  be  sure  and  be  well,  this  summer,  for  I 
shall  want  to  make  some  excursions  into  the  country  with 
you.  Don't  fail  to  write  me  often  while  I  am  here.  I  am 
called  away  and  can  barely  say,  my  love  to  you  all. 
Your  affectionate  brother, 

SEAEGKNT. 


TO     HIS     SISTER     ANNA. 

HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES,  Jwne  26,  1888. 

DEAE  SISTEE  : — 

While  a  very  stupid  debate  is  going  on,  upon  some 
matter  in  which  I  feel  no  sort  of  interest,  I  will  take  advantage 
of  the  buzzing  dullness,  and  indulge  in  the  pleasure  of  conversing 
with  my  dear  friends  at  home.  I  have  become  so  imbued  with 
political  matters,  that  I  can  hardly  talk  or  think  of  anything  else. 
So  I  will,  in  the  first  place,  give  you  some  political  information. 
The  notorious  Sub-Treasury  scheme  has  at  length  been  defeated 
by  a  majority  of  fourteen.  The  vote  was  taken  on  it  yesterday ; 
and  will,  I  presume,  be  received  with  much  pleasure  by  the 
country.  You  will,  probably,  have  seen  by  the  papers  that  I 
made  a  speech  against  the  bill.  Considering  the  subject  had 
been  so  much  exhausted,  I  hard  no  reason  to  complain  of  my  suc 
cess.  I  was  honored  with  a  crowded  audience,  who  were  very 
attentive  and,  a'  I  understand,  were  much  gratified  ;  perhaps  it 
arose  from  sympathy  for  so  innocent  and  unsophisticated  a  youth. 
Probably  they  scarce  expected  u  one  of  my  age  to  speak  in  pub 
lic/'  &c.  I  don't  kru.w  whether  I  shall  take  the  trouble  to  write 
out  my  speech.  I  had  rather  make  ten  than  write  one ;  and  as 
T  am  determined  to  quit  political  life,  I  see  no  reason  for  putting 


SPEECH    ON    THE    SUB-TREASURY    BILL.  347 

L  m,  v.  i  N.  "o  much  trouble.  "We  Lave  fixed  upon  the  9th  of  July 
lor  adjournment,  and  I  am  glad  it  will  come  about  so  soon  ;  fol 
I  am  heartily  tired  of  this  place.  I  cannot  but  smile  at  myself, 
when  I  reflect  how  much  I  have  labored  to  obtain  that  which  I 
so  little  value.  I  envy  G.  his  literary  pursuits  in  the  cool  shades 
of  New  Haven.  The  weather  is  excessively  warm,  and  I  shall 
feel  like  getting  »ut  of  prison  when  I  leave  here.  I  long  to  be  at 
leisure,  for  both  body  and  mind  have  become  fatigued  by  the  con 
tinued  exertions  I  have  been  under  the  necessity  of  making, 
during  the  last  six  or  eight  months.  You  will  find  me,  I  am 
afraid,  a  very  dull  and  lazy  companion.  I  hope  I  shall  not  be 
troubled  with  too  many  civilities  in  Portland,  or  it  will  drive  me 
into  the  country.  I  don't  want  to  see  anybody  except  our  own 
old  friends.  My  love  to  you  all. 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

S.  S.  P. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  his  speech  on  the  Sub-Treasury 
bill  was  never  reported.  It  contained  an  elaborate  exposi 
tion  of  his  views  on  the  reciprocal  benefits  and  inter-depend 
ence  of  the  agricultural  and  commercial  interests  of  the 
country — upon  the  friendly  relations  which  ought  to  exist 
between  labor  and  capital — and  also  upon  the  importance  of 
binding  in  closest  union  the  North  and  the  South.  On  the 
last  point  mentioned,  he  expressed  himself  with  great  energy, 
and  m  a  spirit  becoming  an  American  statesman.  A  member 
of  Congress,  writing  at  the  time  to  a  friend  in  Kentucky, 
thus  refers  to  this  speech  : — 

The  discussion  upon  the  Sub-Treasury  bill  is  now  fully  under 
way,  and  the  result  is  doubtful.  The  House  has  been  infinitely 
amused  during  the  last  two  days  with  the  rejoinder  of  Mr.  PEEN- 
TISS,  of  Mississippi,  to  Mr.  ,  of  .  The  Missis 
sippi  orator  has  all  the  power  and  the  brilliancy  for  which  fame 
has  given  him  credit;  in  truth  he  is,  beyond  all  controversy,  the 
first  man  of  his  age  in  the  country  :  and  his  annihilation  of  the 


348  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

fiery  apostate   of  ,  will   long    be  remembered    in    this 

House  as  one  of  the  most  signal  triumphs  of  mind  over  mind. 

Just  before  the  close  of  the  session  a  bill  came  from  the 
Senate,  where  it  had  been  strongly  opposed  by  Messrs.  Web 
ster,  Clay,  and  Calhoun,  giving  the  custody  of  the  public 
money  entirely  into  the  hands  of  the  Executive,  and  pro 
hibiting  the  reception  of  notes  under  the  denomination  of 
twenty  dollars,  or  those  of  any  bank  which  issued  notes  ot 
a  denomination  less  than  five  dollars.  Mr.  Prentiss  made 
an  amusing  impromptu  speech  against  this  bill,  which  is 
worthy  of  mention,  from  its  connection  with  a  characterestic 
motion  of  John  Quincy  Adams.  Mr.  P.  seemed  to  be  a 
special  favorite  with  the  aged  ex-President,  as  indeed,  he 
was  with  old  men  generally.  The  following  is  the  pith 
of  a  contemporary  notice  :  — 

Mr.  PEENTISS  then  took  the  floor,  and  proceeded  to  animad 
vert  with  great  severity  on  the  introduction  of  the  bill  at  this 
late  hour,  and  upon  the  preconcerted  movement  to  force  it 
through  the  House  without  a  moment's  discussion.  He  declared 
it  to  be  the  last  struggle  of  the  Sub-Treasury  scheme;  the  very 
rump  of  that  odious  measure — the  last  hair  on  its  hide.  That  bill 
was  dead  and  buried — this  was  of  the  same  family  :  let  it  be  at 
once  gathered  to  its  fathers.  If  it  was  intended  to  punish  the 
United  States  Bank  of  Pennsylvania,  this  government  had  no 
jurisdiction  in  the  case.  If  the  government  could  punish  one 
State  corporation,  it  might  another,  and  so  no  State  bank,  or 
State  institution,  was  safe.  As  to  the  old  dead  United  States 
Bank,  he  believed  there  were  many  around  him  who  would 
gladly  turn  resurrectionists — dig  up  the  dead  body,  turn  this  Hall 
into  a  dissecting-room,  and  never  lay  down  the  scalpel  till  every 
muscle,  tendon,  artery,  vein  and  nerve  had  been  laid  bare,  and 
neither  form  nor  substance  left. 

Amid  many  interruptions  and  calls  to  order,  which  were  de 
cided  in  his  favor,  Mr.  P.  proceeded  with  his  philippic.    The  great 


SPEECH    OX    SMALL    NOTE    BILL.  349 

Administration  whale  had  been  harpooned  to  death,  and  was  now 
in  its  mortal  agony;  he  was  for  backing  the  boats  a  little,  and 
enjoying  the  flounces  and  plunges  while  it  kept  the  whole  sea  in 
a  foam.  This  bill  was  one  of  the  last  blows  of  its  tail.  As  to 
these  five  dollar  notes,  which  the  government  opposed  so  earn 
estly  on  the  ground  of  their  immorality,  the  people  were  the 
best  judges  whether  they  were  good  money  or  not ;  if  not,  they 
would  not  take  them,  and  the  banks  would  issue  no  more  of 
them,  and  so  the  bill  was  needless.  If  the  notes  were  good 
money,  and  the  people  liked  it  and  wanted  it,  the  bill  made  war 
on  the  wishes  of  the  people  ;  and  as  to  the  sin  of  the  matter,  they 
did  not  require  the  Administration  to  act  as  Lord  Chancellor,  to 
take  care  of  their  consciences.  Before  Mr.  P.  had  concluded, 
a  motion  was  made  to  adjourn. 

Mr.  Adams  inquired  of  the  Chair  whether,  if  the  House  should 
refuse  to  adjourn,  the  gentleman  from  Mississippi  would  lose  hia 
right  to  the  floor? 

The  Chair  replied  that,  in  strictness,  he  would  not;  by  courtesy, 
however,  it  had  been  usual  to  allow  a  gentleman,  in  such  circum 
stances,  to  retain  the  floor.  He  had  no  right  to  it  under  the  rules. 

Mr.  Adams  made  a  point  of  order. 

The  Chair  said  this  was  out  of  order,  pending  a  motion  to 
adjourn. 

The  yeas  and  nays  were  taken  on  the  question  of  adjournment 
and  resulted  as  follows :  Yeas  16,  Nays  142.  So  the  House 
refused  to  adjourn. 

Mr.  Adams  now  made  his  point  of  order.  He  said  it  had  been 
decided  by  the  House  that  this  bill  was  to  be  rammed  down  the 
throats  of  the  minority  without  any  discussion,  and  now  the  gen 
tleman  from  Mississippi  was  presuming  to  discuss  it.  He  wanted 
to  know  if  the  gentleman  was  in  order.  (Laughter.) 

The  Chair  required  Mr.  Adams  to  reduce  his  question  of  order 
to  writing. 

Mr.  A.  did  so,  and  offered  it  in  the  following  form  : — 

"  It  having  been  determined  by  a  majority  of  the  members  of 
this  House  that  this  bill,  a  highly  penal  bill,  subjecting  the  citi 
zens  of  the  United  States  to  fine  and  imprisonment,  should  be 
passed  by  the  operation  of  the  Previous  Question,  without  debate 


350  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

or  discussion,  is  the  gentleman  from  Mississippi  (Mr.  PRENTISS* 
in  order  in  obtaining  the  floor,  and  consuming  the  time  of  the 
House,  against  the  sense  and  intention  of  a  majority  of  said 
members  ?" 

It  being  decided  that  he  was  in  order,  Mr.  P.  went  on  a  good 
deal  too  fast  for  us  to  report  him.  He  compared  the  old  cur 
rency,  before  "  the  experiment,"  to  the  bread  of  the  people;  this 
the  Administration  had  taken  away  and  given  them  a  stone. 
But  not  content  with  this,  they  now  envied  them  their  little  gin 
ger-cakes — these  poor  five  dollar  bills.  It  was  really  cruel.  He 
could  not  but  fancy  that  he  heard  in  the  language  of  this  bill  the 
last  growls  of  the  old  Tennessee  Lion.  How  it  would  make  his 
eyes  flash  and  lighten  to  witness  this  final  attack  on  Biddle  and 
Biddle's  Bank  !  It  would  awaken  the  yaudia  certaminis — 
and  be  almost  equal  to  a  glance  at  the  field  of  New  Orleans  ! 

The  Administration  had  tried  to  wield  his  armor:  but  they 
might  as  well  take  David's  course  and  put  it  off,  for  it  was  too 
heavy  for  them.     They  wanted  to  play  the  part  of  Samson,  too, 
but  unfortunately  they  seized  hold  on  the  strong  pillars  of  the 
State  after  their  locks  were  shorn.     It  was  vain  to  strive  against 
the  will  and  wants  of  the  people.     The  government  might  as  well 
attempt  to  enforce  an  assize  of  bread  as  to  control  the  bills  of 
State  banks.     Mr.  PREXTISS  went  on,  in  the  most  comical  man 
ner,  to  appeal  to  the  compassion  of  gentlemen.     He  hoped,  if 
they  had  any  of  the  milk  of  human  kindness  in  them,  they  would 
consider  the  pecuniary  state  of  the  people  of  Mississippi.    When 
lately  travelling  through  the  State,  he  had  discovered  that  the 
silver  ninepences,  which  used  to  be  hung  round  babies'  necks  bv 
a  string,  had  all  been  cut  off  and  used  up,  so  that  the  poor  infants 
could  not  get  one  of  them  to  cut  their  teeth  upon.     (Loud  laugh 
ter.)    The  Administration,  by  this  bill,  were  passing  a  tacit  com 
pliment  on  the  deceased  bank;  the  paper  even  of  the  dead  Bank 
of  the  United  States  was  better  than  the  paper  of  this  living 
government.     The  dead  Percy  was  better  than  the  live  Falstaff 
It  was  said  that  when  great  julep  drinkers  died,  the  mint  wa§ 
seen  springing  on  their  graves;  it  seemed  so  with  this  Bank  of 
the  United  States  ;  though  it  had  expired,  its  issues  still  contin 
ued  to  supply  the  people  with  the  best  currency. 


NORTH    AND    SOUTH.  351 

Before  concluding  this  chapter,  it  may  be  in  place  to  say  a 
word  further  of  Mr.  Prentiss'  position  in  reference  to  the 
sectional  spirit  and  schemes,  by  which  the  country  was  then, 
and  has  been  ever  since,  so  fiercely  agitated.  The  subse 
quent  narrative  will  afford  ample  proofs  of  the  nationality 
and  patriotic  ardor  of  his  sentiments.  But  it  ought  to  be 
stated,  that  some  of  his  most  influential  friends  in  Missis* 
sippi  belonged  to  the  extreme  Southern  party,  and  that 
they  used  strong  persuasions  to  induce  him  to  stand  upon 
the  same  platform.  The  following  extracts  from  a  letter, 
addressed  to  him  by  a  highly  distinguished  citizen  of  Missis 
sippi,  will  illustrate  this  remark,  while  they  also  throw  light 
upon  that  process  by  which  the  State  was  fast  hastening  to 
financial  ruin.  The  letter  is  dated  June  23,  1838  :— 

I  wrote  to  you  on  the  17th,  since  which  time  I  have  had  the 
pleasure  of  receiving  your  letter  of  the  4th  instant.  We  had 
received  intelligence  of  the  stir  which  your  arrival  in  the  city 
had  produced.  Your  course,  both  upon  the  taking  of  your  seat 
and  in  relation  to  the  rescinding  of  the  degrading  resolution  of 
last  session,  is  entirely  approved  by  your  friends.  Such  an  out 
rage  should  not  be  permitted  to  become  a  precedent.  The  repeal 
of  the  specie  circular,  although  t'ne  latter,  from  the  scarcity  of 
money,  has  for  some  time  past  been  nearly  a  dead  letter,  yet  will 
remove  one  serious  obstacle  to  the  resumption  of  specie  payments 
by  our  banks.  The  subject  is  beginning  to  be  spoken  of.  Our 
solvent  institutions  begin  to  think  it  the  only  means  of  checking 
the  wild  operations  of  the  Brandon  and  some  new  banks,  which, 
without  credit,  are  now  promising  to  relieve  the  embarrassments 
of  the  poor  people  by  creating  money.  There  are  some  who  think 
that  nothing  is  required  to  effect  this  philanthropic  object  but 
slips  of  paper,  duly  engraved  and  signed.  With  the  severe  lessons 
of  past  experience  before  us,  the  banking  mania  still  prevails. 
There  is  a  striking  analogy  between  our  times  and  those  which 
existed  in  England  about  one  hundred  years  since,  when  Law, 
and  the  proprietors  of  the  South  Sea  and  Mississippi  schemes 


352 


MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRE,VT{S3. 


inoculated    the   country   with    the   stock   monomania.      Men's 
minds   are  speculating,  not  upon  the  means  of  developing  and 
unfolding  the  resources  of  the  country,  but  of  creating  capital  by 
trick  and  legerdemain.     What  is  more  unfortunate  here  with  us, 
is  that  our  best  financiers,  indeed  the  whole  country,  have  their 
eyes  fixed  alone  upon  the  North,  and  upon  the  retina  is  always 
presented  a  full-length  figure  of  Mr.  Biddle.     At  a  meeting  of 
Bank  directors  lately  in  New  Orleans,  it  was  formally  resolved, 
that  they  could  not  think  of  resuming  specie  payments  at  all 
without  the  aid  of  the  agency  of  the  United  States  Bank.     The 
great  emporium  of  one  half  the  continent,  through  which  the 
North  is  now  even  supplied  with  meat  and  breadstuff's,  cannot 
move  without  the  great  bottle-holder.     In  my  opinion,  there  are 
no  questions  connected  with  the  currency  half  so  important  to  the 
South,  as  a  direct  trade  with,  and  in  consequence  the  establish 
ment  of  a  sound  credit  in  Europe.     My  pride  revolts  at  the  idea 
that  we   who  furnish    the   basis   of  nearly   the    whole  foreign 
commerce,  should  be  dependent  on,  and  pay  dearly  for,  a  credit 
which  our  agents  themselves  acquire  from  the  transaction  of  our 
business.     These  feelings,  I  can  scarcely  call  them  principles,  now 
form  the  basis  of  my  political  creed,  on  the  currency  questions. 
They  have  led  me  to  regard  favorably  the  idea  of  an  entire  sepa 
ration  of  the  government  from  the  money  power — a  full,  entire, 
and  eternal  separation.     I  am  not  quite  sure  that  I  am  right, 
yet  I  am  willing  to  bear  the  evils  of  a  trial.     Even  my  distrust 
of  the  party  now  in  power,  has  a  tendency  to  confirm  these  opin 
ions;  not  a  little  encouraged,  too,  by  the  honest  prejudice  which 
I  feel  at  beholding  the  pride,  insolence  and  intolerance  of  the 
Northern  people. 

The  Union  Bank  promises  to  be  a  great  humbug.  We  are  not 
informed  that  it  has  yet  taken  any  decisive  step,  except  to 
give  its  President  a  salary  of  $10,000,  and  other  officers  in  pro 
portion.  These  acts  have  occasioned  great  dissatisfaction. 

A  perfect  calm  rests  upon  our  State  politics.  Claiborne,  for 
aught  I  know,  has  gone  down  to  the  tomb  of  the  Capulets. 
Almost  all  the  Democratic  leaders  are  turning  their  attention  tc 
the  all-absorbing  study  of  the  new  science  of  creating  capital  bj 


XORTH   AND    SOUTH.  353 


meanb  of  ingeniously  contrived  pieces  of  paper.  In  this 
encouraged  by  the  placid  tranquillity  of  the  political  lake,  now 
and  then  a  Whig  editor  will  lisp  the  name  of  CLAY.  Three  have 
assumed  boldness  enough  to  raise  the  gallant  fellow's  flag.  The 
older  and  more  cunning  are  waiting  further  developments.  In 
a  short  time,  however,  I  look  to  see  the  banner  raised  at  the 
mast-head  of  the  Courier,  Register,  Sun,  Herald,  Argus,  Adver 
tiser,  /Southerner,  and  Star.  Then  for  a  war  between  the  Nul- 
lifiers  and  their  old  allies.  We  cannot  support  Mr.  Clay.  His 
opinions  of  slavery,  his  views  of  protection,  of  internal  im 
provement,  in  short,  his  strong  Nationalism  —  notwithstanding 
our  admiration  of  the  man,  our  confidence  in  his  personal  cha 
racter,  and  our  distrust  of  the  present  adminisistration  —  will  not 
permit  us  to  support  him.  In  my  opinion,  the  Nullifiers  in 
this  State  are  now  the  stronger  portion  of  the  opposition. 
Their  withdrawal  will  leave  the  supporters  of  Mr.  Clay  in  a 
small  minority.  Our  papers,  as  you  know,  are  mostly  in  the 
control  of  young  men,  recent  emigrants,  and  generally  unac- 
quainted  with  State  politics.  They  do  not  reflect  its  political  sen 
timents  any  more  than  the  birds  of  passage  who  leave  us  every 
spring  for  the  North,  do  its  character. 

The  same  gentleman  writes  a  few  months  earlier  :  — 

We  are  approaching  momentous  times.  The  fanaticism  and 
deep-seated  hatred  of  one  portion  of  the  Union  against  us  is 
increasing.  It  is  no  Sunday  mail  affair,  to  be  quelled  by  a  single 
report.  Blood  alone,  I  fear,  will  quench  it.  I  am  for  meeting 
it  on  the  threshold.  I,  therefore,  approve  of  Mr.  Calhoun's 
resolutions,  and  am  sorry  to  see  that  Mr.  Clay  is,  in  my  opinion, 
unsound  upon  this  subject  of  Slavery.  If  the  North  is  tired  of 
us,  or  considers  itself  contaminated  by  a  union  with  us,  let  it  go. 
Could  I  now  influence  the  Southern  Representatives,  I  would 
advise  them  to  meet  and  recommend  to  all  the  slaveholding  State.s 
to  declare,  through  their  Legislatures,  that  they  would  no  longer 
submit  to  official  vituperation  and  insult,  and  hold  out  to  their 
sister  States  the  alternative  of  respectful  treatment  or  separa 


354 


MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 


tion.     If  we  submit,  we  shall  soon  fall  into  contempt.     I  do  not 
believe  in  an  appeal  to  the  good  feelings  of  masses  of  men. 
They  are  as  soulless  as  corporations.     The  only  affections  that 
can  be  touched,  are  interest  and  fear.     Let  the  Northern  poli 
ticians  calculate  the  value  of  the  Union  to  themselves.     The 
point  of  interest  is  of  little   importance  to.  us.     I  know  not 
whether  you  agree  entirely  with  me  in  these  opinions.     I  hope 
you  do,  but  whether  so  or  not,  I  am  sure  you  will  ever  possess 
my  entire  confidence.     Our  State  Legislature  has  been  organized 
by  the  election  of  Whig  officers.     Who  will  be  Senator  is  a  mat 
ter  of  doubt.     G-win  is  given  up  in  despair  by  the  Democrats. 
Trotter  is  their  candidate.     My  choice  would  be  Judge  Smith  or 
Guion.     New  Orleans  feels  deeply  the  withdrawal  of  our  cotton 
business,  and,  in  revenge,  is  using  every  art  to  depress  our  cur 
rency.     She  will  not  be  able  to  effect  this  long.     We  will  soon 
be  out  of  debt,  and  then  the  world  will  come  to  us  for  our 
staple.     We  hear  news  of  collisions  on  our  northern  frontier. 
A  war  with  Great  Britain  would  now  be  calamitous ;  one  with 
Mexico  would  merely  amuse  us," 


DINNER   TO   MR.    WEBSTER   IN    FANEUIL   HALL.  355 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

Visits  Portland — Attends  the  Public  Dinner  given  to  Daniel  Webster  in  Faneui' 
Hall — Letter  from  Edward  Everett — His  Speech  on  the  Occasion — Trip  to  tha 
White  Mountains — Invitation  to  a  Public  Dinner  in  New  York — The  Correspon« 
dence — Reminiscence  by  Judge  Wilkinson — Returns  to  Mississippi  by  Sea — Recep« 
tion  at  New  Orleans — Extract  from  a  Speech  at  Vicksburg  on  Disunion — Letters. 

^Ex.  29—1838. 

SOON  after  reaching  Portland,  Mr.  Prentiss  was  waited 
upon  by  a  committee  from  Boston,  with  an  urgent  invitation 
to  attend  the  Public  Dinner  about  to  be  given  to  Mr.  Web 
ster,  in  Faneuil  Hall.  He  consented  to  go,  though  much 
against  his  will  ;  for  he  was  on  the  point  of  starting,  with  a 
company  of  friends,  on  an  excursion  to  the  White  Moun 
tains. 

The  dinner  to  Mr.  Webster  afforded  him  a  fine  opportu 
nity  to  express  his  admiration  for  that  great  statesman.  It 
was  one  of  the  most  brilliant  political  festivals  ever  known 
in  this  country.  The  occasion  had  called  together  an  unusual 
number  of  distinguished  men  from  all  parts  of  New  England, 
New  York,  and  remoter  sections  of  the  Union.  But  no  one 
of  them  was  the  object  of  such  eager  curiosity  as  S.  S. 
Prentiss,  of  Mississippi  ;  for  so  he  was  generally  designated. 
The  wonderful  reports  of  his  oratory,  the  anecdotes  of  his 
personal  history — his  lameness,  too,  and  the  fact  that  he 
was  a  son  of  New  England — all  conspired  to  produce  the 
strongest  desire  to  see  and  hear  him.  He  was  himself  not 
a  little  excited  by  the  thought  of  speaking  in  Faneuil  Hall, 


356  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

and  addressing  there  an  audience  accustomed  to  the  elo 
quence  of  Otis,  Webster,  Everett,  and  others  hardly  inferior 
to  them  in  the  exercise  of  this  noble  art.  And  not  only 
was  he  to  address  an  audience  whose  taste  had  been  formed 
by  such  masters,  but  the  masters  themselves  were  to  be  pre 
sent  and  speak  to  the  people.  It  was,  certainly,  an  ordeal, 
which  a  young  man,  whose  name  but  a  few  months  before 
had  scarcely  crossed  the  borders  of  Mississippi,  might  well 
feel  some  embarrassment  in  passing  through. 

The  opening  address  was  made  by  Gov.  Everett,  who  pre 
sided  on  the  occasion.  It  was  in  the  highest  degree  instruc 
tive,  beautiful,  and  impressive — teres  atque  rotundus — like 
all  the  productions  of  that  finished  orator.  Then  followed 
the  honored  Guest,  in  one  of  those  simple,  compact,  and 
luminous  speeches,  which  can  receive  no  truer  or  worthier 
description  than  to  call  them  Websterian.*  "  His  manner 
of  speech,"  as  Lord  Bacon  said  of  the  king,  "  was  indeed 
prince-like,  flowing  as  from  a  fountain,  and  yet  streaming 
and  branching  itself  into  nature's  order,  full  of  facility  and 
felicity,  imitating  none,  and  inimitable  by  any."  Or,  as  rare 
Ben  Jonson  wrote  of  Lord  Bacon  himself  :  "  No  man  ever 
spake  more  neatly,  more  pressly,  more  weightily,  or  suffered 
less  emptiness,  less  idleness  in  what  he  uttered  ;  no  member 
of  his  speech  but  consisted  of  its  own  graces.  His  hearers 
could  not  cough,  or  look  aside  from  him  without  loss."  The 
main  topic  of  his  address  at  this  time  was  the  Sub- 
Treasury  scheme,  to  whose  recent  defeat  his  own  ponderous 
arguments  had  so  largely  contributed. 

Mr.  Webster  was  followed  by  Gov.  Ellsworth,  of  Con 
necticut,  Hon.  Abbot  Lawrence,  Ex-Governor  Lincoln, 
Hon.  Peleg  Sprague,  and  other  distinguished  speakers. 

The  following  account  of  Mr.  Prentiss'  address  will  be 

*  See  Webster's  Worke,  vel.  i.  p.  417. 


SPEECH    IN    FANEDIL    HALL.  351 

read  with  peculiar  pleasure.     Commendation  'from  such  a 
source  is  indeed  laudari  a  viro  laudato. 

EDWARD     EVERETT     TO     THE     EDITOR. 

CAMBRIDGE,  Feb.  5, 1851. 

DEAR  SIR  : — 

I  have  much  pleasure  in  complying  with  the  request 
contained  in  your  letter  of  the  30th  ult.  I  wrell  recollect  the 
appearance  of  your  brother  at  the  dinner  given  to  Mr.  Webster, 
in  Faneuil  Hall,  in  July,  1838.  The  company  was  much  the 
largest  which  I  ever  saw  assembled  at  dinner  in  any  permanent 
building,  and,  with  the  exception  of  the  Guest  of  the  day,  no  one 
was  received  with  so  much  enthusiasm  as  Mr.  PREXTISS.  Much 
was  anticipated  from  his  speech,  but  the  public  expectation  was 
more  than  realized.  He  rose  at  rather  a  late  hour,  and  after  a 
succession  of  able  speakers.  For  these,  and  some  other,  reasons, 
it  required  first  rate  ability  to  gain  and  fix  the  attention  of  the 
audience.  I  had  never  had  the  good  fortune  to  hear  your  bro 
ther,  and  I  must  own  that  I  feared  he  would  find  himself  obliged, 
after  a  few  sentences  of  customary  acknowledgment,  to  give  up 
the  idea  of  addressing  the  company  at  any  length.  He  was,  how 
ever,  from  the  outset  completely  successful.  He  took  possession 
of  the  audience  from  the  first  sentence,  and  carried  them  along 
with  unabated  interest,  I  think  for  above  an  hour.  It  seemed  to 
me  the  most  wonderful  specimen  of  a  sententious  fluency  which  I 
had  ever  witnessed.  The  words  poured  from  his  lips  in  a  torrent, 
but  the  sentences  were  correctly  formed,  the  matter  grave  and 
important,  the  train  of  thought  distinctly  pursued,  the  illustra 
tions  wonderfully  happy,  drawn  from  a  wide  range  of  reading, 
and  aided  by  a  brilliant  imagination.  That  it  was  a  carefully 
prepared  speech  no  one  could  believe  for  a  moment.  It  was  the 
overflow  of  a  full  mind,  swelling  in  the  joyous  excitement  of  the 
friendly  reception,  kindling  with  the  glowing  themes  suggested 
by  the  occasion,  and  not  unmoved  by  the  genius  of  the  place. 
Sitting  by  Mr.  Webster,  I  asked  him  if  he  had  ever  heard  any 
thing  like  it  ?  He  answered,  "  Never,  except  from  Mr.  PRENTISS 
himself." 


358  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PREXTISS. 

I  rejoice  to  hear  that  you  are  preparing  a  Memoir  of  yimr  bro 
ther.  I  hope  you  will  not  fail  to  gather  up  the  remains  of  his 
eloquence,  forensic,  occasional,  and  Congressional.  I  am  aware 
that  the  most  skillful  reporters  must  have  failed  to  do  him  jus 
tice.  But  what  he  s'aid  in  Faneuil  Hall  was  so  far  above  the  com 
mon-places  of  festive  oratory  —  so  full  of  point  and  meaning  — 
that  I  am  persuaded  he  could  not  have  been  indebted  for  his 
reputation  to  the  interest  of  his  manner,  great  as  that  was. 
Indeed,  I  think  it  quite  likely  that  if  he  had  possessed  less  of  this, 
he  might  have  stood  even  higher  as  a  public  speaker.  An  address 
replete  with  wisdom,  argument,  thought  and  wit,  and  recom 
mended  by  a  fascinating  delivery  like  that  of  your  brother,  is 
sometimes  supposed  to  owe  more  to  the  external  attraction  than 
the  solid  merit  of  what  is  said.  But  I  do  not  believe  your 
brother's  reputation  would  suffer,  with  good  judges,  by  any 
thing  like  a  fair  report  of  the  substance  of  his  speeches.  I  am 
confident  that  they  had  a  quality  of  excellence  that  would  bear 
the  loss  of  outward  manner. 

I  remain,  Dear  Sir,  with  high  respect, 

Very  truly  yours, 

EDWAED  EVEEETT. 

His  speech  on  this  occasion,  fortunately,  is  not  wholly 
lost.  An  imperfect  report  of  it  was  published,  and  may 
gratify  the  reader.  Some  passages  are  pretty  severe  ; 
but  its  sentiments  on  the  sanctity  of  the  elective  franchise, 
on  the  Union,  and  the  relations  between  the  rich  and  tho 
poor,  will,  probably,  be  regarded  as  not  unworthy  of  any 
American  statesman. 

He  was  introduced  to  the  audience  by  the  following 
toast  : 


pi  and  her  distinguished  Representative  in  Congress  :  —  We  wel 
come  liim  most  cordially  to  this  Hall,  consecrated  to  the  cause  of  our  Country  and 
Independence.  He  has  fought  a  good  fight,  and  deserves,  and  will  receive,  the 
gratitude  and  admiration  of  his  country." 


SPEECH    IN    FANUEIL   HALL.  »59 

Mr.  PKENTISS*  rose,  to  return  his  most  sincere  and  profound 
thanks  for  the  honor  which  had  been  done  to  him,  and  to  the 
State  he  had  the  good  fortune  in  part  to  represent.  He  hardly 
knew  in  what  form  to  present  what  he  had  to  say,  or  where  to 
begin.  It  had  been  his  lot,  especially  of  late,  to  address  his 
fellow  citizens  on  various  occasions,  and  under  almost  all  possi 
ble  outward  circumstances.  Sometimes  he  had  spoken  to  them 
under  no  other  roof  than  the  broad  arch  of  the  heavens;  at 
other  times,  canopied  by  the  branches  of  the  primeval  forests 
of  the  Southwest ;  at  others,  within  the  structures  of  the  hands 
of  man ;  but  never  had  he  stood  before  an  audience  in  such 
circumstances  as  now  surrounded  him;  never  before  had  he 
listened  to  the  echo  of  his  own  voice  from  the  walls  of  old 
Faneuil  Hall.  (Cheers.)  He  hardly  knew  whether  to  address  him 
self  to  the  dim  and  venerable  shadows  of  the  past,  or  the  more 
real  and  palpable  forms  which  met  his  eye.  Faneuil  Hall  might 
justly  be  styled  the  very  Mecca  of  Liberty.  (Great  cheering.) 
Aye,  and  the  Mecca  of  Whiggism  also.  (Immense  applause.) 
He  came  hither  as  a  pilgrim  from  a  far  distant  home,  to  lend 
his  feeble  aid  in  doing  honor  to  one  of  the  greatest  champions 
of  both.  He  felt,  as  he  stood  in  that  place,  a  holy  awe  upon  his 
soul ;  the  very  walls  and  rafters  of  the  building  seemed  redolent 
of  the  spirit  of  American  Liberty.  The  air  he  breathed  in  such 
a  spot  was  healthful  and  instinct  with  life.  He  would  recom 
mend  those  who  were  troubled  with  political  maladies,  to  come 
here.  (Cheers.)  This  was  a  Bethesda  in  which  they  might 
wash  and  be  clean  from  whatsoever  disease  they  had.  Yes,  let 
the  lame,  the  halt,  and  the  blind,  and  those  who  were  possessed 
with  loco-foco  devils,  all  come  and  be  made  whole.  (Loud  and 
long  cheering.)  He  had  said  that  he  came  as  a  pilgrim,  and  had 
been  admitted  as  such,  but  now  he  was  in,  he  should  claim  far 
more;  he  should  claim  his  place  on  that  floor  as  himself  a  son 
of  Massachusetts  (cheers),  for  he  had  first  drawn  the  breath  of 

*  This  report,  the  only  tolerable  one  of  Mr.  P.'s  speech,  appeared  in  the 
y.  Y.  Journal  of  Commerce,  Several  others  were  published,  but  they  are 
little  better  than  caricatures.  They,  however,  supply  omissions  in  that  of  the 
J.ofC)  and  have,  in  some  passages,  been  followed. 


860  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

life  under  the  wings  of  the  authority  and  institutions  of  the  old 
Bay  State.  Maine,  now  almost  a  match  for  her  foster  mother, 
was  then  a  part  of  this  ancient  commonwealth.  (Great  cheer 
ing.)  But  he  would  claim  his  seat  on  yet  higher  grounds;  h<S 
claimed  it  as  a  fellow  citizen  of  this  broad  Union ;  and  as  such, 
it  was  his  right  and  duty  to  render  the  public  tribute  of  his 
gratitude  to  every  illustrious,  patriotic  son  of  the  Republic. 
Though  he  counted  the  distance  of  his  home  from  this  hallowed 
spot  by  thousands  of  long  and  weary  miles,  his  heart  beat  in 
sympathy  with  all  the  hearts  around  him.  (Great  cheering  and 
shouts  of  applause.)  His  State  and  theirs  rested  on  the  same 
broad  platform  of  constitutional  Freedom.  (Here  Mr.  P.  pointed 
to  the  sentence  from  Mr.  Webster's  last  speech  on  the  Sub- 
Treasury  Bill,  which  was  emblazoned  in  large  letters  on  the 
front  gallery. — "  /  am  where  I  ever  have  been  and  ever  mean  to 
le  :  HEEE,  standing  on  the  platform  of  the  general  Constitution— 
a  platform  broad  enough  and  firm  enough,  to  uphold  every 
interest  of  the  whole  country,  I  SHALL  STILL  BE  FOUND.")  The 
National  Banner,  bearing  the  glorious  insignia  of  that  immortal 
possession,  wrapped  alike  in  its  sacred  folds,  the  State  of  Missis 
sippi  and  the  State  of  Massachusetts.  (Cheers.) 

In  the  palmy  d.ays  of  the  Ancient  Republics,  he  who  had 
saved  the  life  of  a  citizen,  was  held  more  worthy  of  honor  and 
reward,  than  he  who  had  taken  the  life  of  an  enemy.  How 
great  then  was  the  honor,  how  boundless  the  rewards  due  to 
him,  who  had  saved  that  Constitution,  which  had  been  cheaply 
purchased  by  thousands  of  lives,  and  would  be  cheaply  preserved 
by  the  sacrifice  of  tens  of  thousands.  (Long  continued  and  loud 
applause.) 

This  was  no  trivial  occasion,  no  unmeaning  solemnity. 
Crowns  and  ovations  used  in  former  days  to  be  granted  to  those 
who  had  fought  well  the  physical  battles  of  their  country,  and 
vanquished  her  enemies  on  the  bloody  field  ;  but  it  had  now  come 
to  be  understood  that  it  required  a  greater  amount  of  genuine 
courage,  and  all  those  qualities  which  bring  true  renown,  to 
fight  successfully  the  civil  battles  of  a  nation,  than  to  triumph 
on  land  or  ocean.  (Loud  cheers.)  From  a  little  personal 


SPEECH    IN    FANEUIL   HALL.  361 

experience,   mure  especially   that  of   a  recent  date,   lie  could 
assure  his  fellow  citizens  that  a  more  desperate  enterprise  could 
not  well  be  undertaken,  iu  times  like  these,  than  to  go  forth  as 
a  well  appointed  knight,  and  enter  the  lists  with  such  foes  as 
were  now  threatening  to  subjugate  this  free  and  happy  land. 
He  had  not  only  to  meet  honorable  adversaries  in  the  fair  and 
open   fields    of   intellect    and    argument— that    would   be,   in 
comparison,  a  light  and  "pleasant  task— but  he  must  also  be  pre 
pared,  like  a  warrior  in  some  enchanted  castle,  to  encounter  foes 
in  every  hideous  and  revolting  shape.     He  found  himself  sur 
rounded  not  merely  by  titled  knights  with  nodding  plumes  and 
lances  in  rest,  but  by  reptiles  and  wild  beasts,  by  raving  hyenas  and 
venomous  serpents— aye,  and  it  was  no  mistake  to  say  that  he 
might  chance  to  meet  a  "  roaring  lion  "  in  his  path.     (Laughter 
and  loud  cheering.)     It  was,  therefore,  fit  and  right,  it  was  but 
the  discharge  of  a  debt,  to  render  the  highest  public  honors  to 
those  who  had  braved  these  dangers,  and  come  off  safe  and 
triumphant   through   them    all.     (Cheers.)      It   had   been   the 
charge  of  a  Spartan  matron  to  her  son,  when  sending  him  forth 
to  the  combat,   "Return  to  me  with  your  shield  or  on  your 
shield."     The  Whigs  in   the  late  contest  had  received  such  a 
charge  from  the  maternal  voice  of  their  country;  it   had  fol 
lowed    them   through    the    loudest   tumult   of    the    fight,    and 
though  they  might  have  failed   in  achieving  a  perfect  victory, 
they  had  not  lost  their  shield ;  they  had  srill  held  fast  to  the 
Constitution!     (Great  cheering.)     It  was  a  fearful  thing  that  in 
a  country  like  this,  where  according  to  the  theory  of  the  Con 
stitution,  the  rulers  were  but  the  servants  of  the  People,  the  People 
should  stand  in  dread  of  their  legislation  ;  yet  he  would  appeal 
to  all  who  heard  him,  whether  when  the  last  Congress  had 
adjourned,   they   did  not  all  feel  as  if  an  incubus  had  sud 
denly  been  lifted  from  their  breasts!     Did  not  their  bosoms 
swell  and  heave  a  long  sigh  of  relief,  when  they  had  the  cer 
tainty  that  no  new  experiments  were  at  this  time  to  be  brought 
forward,   and   forced   upon    the   country?     (Joyous   shouts  of 
response  here  echoed  from  every  dart  of  the  hall.)     Was  it  not 
a  terrible  condition  for  a  nation,  when  their  chief  consolation 

16 


362  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

was  the  inability  of  the  Government  even  to  do  good  ?  When 
their  great  safety  lay  in  this,  that  the  Legislature  had  adjourned  ? 
In  the  late  late  Congressional  contest,  the  Whig  minority  were 
in  a  situation  somewhat  like  that  of  the  American  forces  on 
Bunker  Hill  (cheers),  when  the  British  army  marched  against 
them  in  all  the  proud  pomp  and  circumstance  of  war — banners 
flying,  a  grand  park  of  artillery,  plentiful  numbers,  and  well 
dressed  and  well-paid  .  officers  commanding  troops  perfectly 
drilled  into  prompt  obedience.  They  came  marching  on  to  the 
sound  of  martial  music,  while  the  flames  of  burning  villages 
lighted  them  on  their  way.  Thus  did  the  forces  of  the  Admin 
istration  move  forward  upon  the  Whig  lines  in  solid  column,  with 
all  their  myrmidons  drawn  up  in  battle  array,  high  in  hopes,  and 
confident  of  success,  with  a  majority  so  devoted  and  so  sure, 
that  they  dared  openly  to  avow  the  sentiment  that  the  People 
must  look  out  for  themselves,  Congress  was  to  provide  only  for 
the  Government.  It  was  no  duty  of  Government  to  provide 
relief  for  the  people — no  such  thing  was  in  the  Constitution. 
No  ;  the  great  Government  ship,  with  all  her  officers,  was  able  to 
weather  the  storm,  and  the  little  black  cutter  was  to  be  filled 
with  the  abandoned  crew,  and  turned  adrift  to  sink  or  swim. 
No  sorrow,  no  sympathy  was  felt,  or  even  affected,  for  the  con 
dition  of  the  country,  till,  in  the  progress  of  things,  the  distress 
reached  some  of  themselves.  Then  there  was  a  wincing  and  a 
shrinking,  but  none  dared  openly  to  complain.  They  did  shud 
der  a  little  when  the  poor  souls,  whom  they  had  turned  adrift, 
were  seen  to  go  down  in  the  tempest.  Like  Don  Juan's  wicked 
sailors, 

They  grieved  for  those  who  perish'd  with  the  cutter, 
And  also  for  the  biscuit-casks  and  butter. 

(Laughter.)  Yes,  they  did  grieve  a  little  when  the  lean  and 
skinny  hand  of  Adversity  knocked  at  their  own  door,  and  their 
pockets  failed  to  jingle  with  the  bright  gold  which  had  glittered 
so  resplendently  in  their  promises  to  an  abused  and  deluded 
people.  This  led  them  to  suspect  that  the  country  might 
possibly  be  suffering  a  slight  temporary  inconvenience  ;  but  the 
petitions  from  the  thousands,  and  the  tens  and  hundreds  of  thon- 


SI'EECH    IN    FANUIEL    HALL.  363 

sands,  which  were  inundating  the  tables  of  the  House,  c  >uld  not 
even  then  gsfin  a  hearing.  Never  had  they  been  thoroughly 
awake  till  Mie  lank  and  hungry  hounds  of  their  own  kennel  began 
to  howl  arjund  them  for  "  supplies  !  supplies  /"  "more  supplies — 
instant  supplies!"  not  for  the  People,  but  for  the  Government. 

Then  the  cry  was,  "  the  Government  must  stop  :  the  Govern 
ment  must  go  down."  Well,  sir,  said  Mr.  P.,  if  this  Government 
must  go  down,  I  want  it  should  go  down  ADMINISTRATION  FIEST 
— HEAD-FOREMOST.  (Deafening  shouts  and  repeated  cheers.) 
I  do  sincerely  believe,  that  never  since  men  have  dwelt  on  the 
face  of  this  green  earth,  and  had  rulers  over  them,  was  there  ever 
an  administration  seen  in  any  country  of  the  globe,  or  in  any 
age  of  time,  more  utterly  callous  to  the  sufferings  or  the  wishes 
of  the  people.  And  I  will  say  further,  that  I  do  not  believe 
that  in  any  country  of  the  world  would  such  a  destruction 
of  public  property,  without  the  presence  of  an  invading 
enemy,  and  proceeding  from  the  acts  of  the  government 
alone,  have  been  endured  without  a  national  convulsion.  No 
other  people  on  the  face  of  the  earth  but  the  free  citizens 
of  this  Republic,  would  ever  have  submitted  to  it.  (Great 
and  loud  cheering.)  No,  sir,  not  in  Turkey  itself.  Had  the 
Sultan,  by  his  despotic  edict,  suddenly  thrown  the  subjects  of 
his  throne  as  far  back  from  their  previous  condition,  bad  as  it 
might  before  have  been,  as  this  country  has  been  thrown  back 
by  the  mad  experiments  on  its  currency,  he  would  the  next 
night  have  slept  in  the  Bosphorus.  (Shouts  and  cries  of  assent.) 
And  why  has  it  not  been  so  here  ?  I  will  tell  you  why :  the 
American  people  well  know  that  they  have  the  remedy  in  their 
own  hands;  they  know  that  they  still  hold  the  reins  of  power; 
and  if  their  steeds  prove  restive  and  dispute  their  pleasure, 
they  know  another  thing,  that  they  hold  the  whip  as  well  as 
the  reins.  (Laughter  and  cheering.) 

We  have  had  to  fight  a  hard  battle;  and  though,  through  the 
aid  and  blessing  of  Heaven,  we  have  been  able  to  save  the  citadel 
of  the  Constitution,  rely  upon  it,  the  worst  part  of  the  contest 
yet  remains.  We  contend  with  a  veteran  foe  :  though  worsted, 
they  are  not  vanquished— they  have  lost  a  battle,  but,  like  the 


364  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

squadrons  of  the  desert,  they  will  sweep  round  and  re-appear 
with  a  new  front,  but  under  the  old  flag.  Sir,  is  it  not  so  ?  Even 
since  the  adjournment,  I  hear  they  have  put  forth  a  new  bulletin, 
evincing  a  determination  still  to  hold  on  to  the  same  policy. 
Had  I  been  consulted,  I  should  have  counselled  that  very  course. 
They  seem  to  be  demented.  They  have  been  steeped  so  long  in 
wickedness,  that  they  are  under  a  judicial  blindness.  They 
remind  me  of  the  simpleton  who  in  a  great  storm  at  sea,  being 
in  mortal  fear,  went  and  lashed  himself  to  the  anchor,  so  that  if 
the  ship  did  go  down,  he  at  least  might  be  safe.  (Loud  cheers 
and  laughter.)  So  has  this  Administration  tied  itself  fust  to  the 
Sub-Treasury  policy;  and  may  the  Genius  of  Gravitation  carry 
them  so  straight  and  so  profoundly  to  the  bottom,  that  not  a  bub 
ble  shall  rise  to  mark  the  spot  where  they  went  down!  (Cries 
and  echoes  of  "Amen,"  "God  send  it,"  and  repeated  cheers.) 
I  may  as  well  utter  the  honest  truth  ;  for  even  a  short  experience 
in  public  life,  has  convinced  me  that  plain,  open  speech  is  the 
best  policy.  (Cheers.)  I  believe  that  a  part  of  the  mischief 
which  this  Administration  has  effected,  may  be  traced  to  its  very 
weakness.  We  have  not  dreaded  it  as  we  ought  to  have  done; 
it  has  been  suffered  to  gnaw  as  a  worm,  where  it  should  have 
been  crushed  as  a  serpent. 

One  of  the  gentlemen  who  have  addressed  y.ou,  has  been 
pleased  to  say  that  I  have  fought  a  good  fight ;  and  recreant 
indeed  should  I  have  been,  could  I  have  turned  my  back  in  such 
a  contest.  The  reference,  I  presume,  was  to  the  late  struggle  in 
my  State ;  for  though  thousands  of  miles  removed,  your  intelli 
gence  has  fully  apprised  you  that  an  inroad  was  made  on  your 
own  rights,  and  on  the  Constitution,  by  the  foul  an-1  nefarious 
decision  of  the  House  of  Representatives  in  regard  to  a  late  Mis 
sissippi  election.  (Loud  cheering.) 

I  fear,  fellow-citizens,  that  the  -great  fundamental  principles 
of  our  institutions  have  not  enough  been  looked  at.  "We  glory 
In  the  institutions  themselves,  and  consider  them  as  the  strong 
bulwarks  of  our  freedom  ;  while  we  too  much  forget  the  vital 
principles  upon  which  they  rest.  These  broad  and  general  prin 
ciples  are  like  the  roots  of  the  everlasting  mountains;  they  lie 


SPEECH  IN  FANEUIL  HALL.  365 

deep — are  out  of  sight  and  forgotten — but  they  are  nevertheless 
the  pillars  of  the  earth.  We  are  too  apt  to  think  of  them  as 
abstractions — as  barren  generalities — not  coming  immediately 
home  to  our  business  and  bosoms  ;  we  cannot  conceive  it  possi 
ble  that  any  man  should  dare  to  attack  them  ;  but  our  security 
is  our  danger.  They  may  be  attacked.  They  have  been  assailed. 
One  of  these  great  principles  of  our  freedom  is  the  Elective 
Franchise,  and  this  has  been  attacked  in  the  persons  of  the  Rep 
resentatives  of  Mississippi.  We  thought  this  was  a  thing  so 
settled,  that  no  one  would  dream  of  attempting  to  disturb  it; 
but  we  contend  with  a  foe  that  knows  nothing  of  civilized  war 
fare.  (Laughter  and  cheers.)  They  assailed  this  citadel  of  our 
Freedom  ;  and  had  the  people  of  Mississippi  submitted  to  it — had 
they  yielded  the  key  of  this  their  last  refuge — their  liberties 
would  have  been  gone  ;  nor  would  they  have  deserved  any  lon 
ger  to  be  free.  But  they  were  not  thus  stolid,  thus  base  and 
craven-hearted  ;  they  manfully  resisted  the  assault ;  they  were 
true  to  themselves,  and  true  to  you  ;  for  this  was  your  question 
as  much  as  it  was  theirs.  (Cheers  and  applause.)  Your  rights, 
our  rights,  the  rights  of  every  State,  and  of  every  man,  woman 
and  child  in  every  State,  were  all  in  danger ;  they  stood  on  the 
steep  precipice  of  imminent  and  present  destruction  :  but  they 
were  rescued.  (Shouts  and  cheering.)  Yet,  when  I  think 
how  close  was  the  contest,  how  narrow  the  escape,  I  tremble 
for  the  future;  and  I  now  repeat  the  warning  so  often  uttered 
— the  price  of  Liberty  is  unsleeping  vigilance  in  guarding  it. 
You  must  be  like  your  patriot  fathers.  You  must  be  the  minute- 
men  of  the  Constitution.  (Immense  applause.) 

Another  great  principle  is  attacked  with  equal  desperation.  It 
is  the  Right  of  Property.  Tenets  are  advanced  here,  in  this 
free  Republic,  which  would  not  be  tolerated  under  the  worst 
government  of  Europe,  nay,  of  the  world.  It  is  openly  asserted, 
that  the  rich  are  ''''the  natural  enemies  of  the  poor  /"  and  the 
practical  corollary  from  that  position  is  that,  therefore,  the 
poor  must  wage  perpetual  war  against  the  rich.  Nor  is  this  an 
idle  theory  ;  it  is  attempted  to  be  made  a  practical  question- 
It  is  advanced,  not  as  in  some  obscure  debating  club,  by  a  set 


366  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

of  raw  and  green  lads,  just  escaped  from  the  trammela  of  their 
minority,  but  in  the  halls  of  Congress,  and  by  men  of  experience, 
standing,  and  character.  It  would  be  an  insult  to  ask  you 
whether  such  a  doctrine  IB  to  prevail  among  American  citizens. 
And  if  it  did,  how  is  this  imaginary -line  between  rich  and  poor 
ever  to  be  drawn  ?  Fix  it  where  you  will,  there  are  tens  of 
thousands  of  the  rich  who  would  consider  themselves  as  among 
the  poor,  and  as  many  thousands  of  the  poor  who  would  find 
themselves  among  the  rich.  Nor  could  it  remain  fixed  for  a  day 
or  an  hour ;  for  he  who  is  rich  to-day,  to-morrow  may  be  a  beg 
gar  ;  while  on  the  other  hand,  thousands  born  to  poverty,  arc 
continually  enrolling  themselves  among  the  opulent  of  the  land. 
I  have  observed,  especially  in  the  West  and  Southwest,  that  the 
most  prosperous,  honored  and  wealthy,  are  apt  to  be  the  men 
who  commenced  their  course  in  life  with  no  fortune  but  their 
hands,  their  industry,  and  their  energy  of  spirit.  The  truth  is, 
all  classes  in  this  country  are  mutually  dependent  upon  each 
other,  as  in  the  busy  hive,  where  those  who  return  laden  impart 
their  stores,  and  those  who  are  empty,  need  only  go  forth  in 
order  to  return  laden.  There  is  no  natural  hostility  between  the 
different  classes  of  society.  Such  a  doctrine  should  be  trampled 
under  the  foot  of  every  American  freeman — it  is  a  viper,  and 
should  not  be  suffered  to  show  its  head.  Let  us  put  it  to  death 
by  common  consent.  (Cheering.) 

There  is  another  precious  vital  interest  of  the  Republic,  which 
is  assailed  with  no  less  desperate  rashness — it  is  our  Union  itself. 
This  is  attempted  to  be  destroyed  by  arraying  local  prejudices 
in  mutual  hostility — by  stirring  up  a  sectional  warfare  between 
the  North  and  the  South,  the  West  and  the  East ;  as  though 
the  common  glory  and  the  common  interest  of  the  whole  Country 
was  not  more  than  sufficient  to  outweigh  a  thousand  times  the 
local  and  minor  matters  in  which  we  differ.  But  though  poli 
ticians,  actuated  solely  by  a  selfish  and  parricidal  ambition, 
seek  to  rend  asunder  what  God  has  himself  joined  in  everlasting 
bonds,  there  is  a  hand  that  will  arrest  the  impious  design :  a 
hand  they  despise,  but  which  they  will  find  too  strong  for 
them  :  I  mean  the  hard  hand  of  MECTTANICAI  LABOR.  (Great 


SPEECH  IN  FANEUIL  HALL.  367 

cheering.)  Yes,  sir,  that  mighty  hand — and  long  may  it  be 
mighty  in  this  free  and  equal  land-— that  mighty  hand  will  link 
these  States  together  with  hooks  of  steel.  The  laboring  popu 
lation  of  this  Country  mean  to  live  together  as  one  people,  and 
who  shall  disannul  their  purpose?  See  how  they  are  conquering 
both  time  and  space!  See  the  thousand  steamboats  that  traverse 
our  lakes  and  rivers;  aye,  and  that,  Leviathian-like,  begin  to 
make  the  ocean  itself  to  loil  like  a  pot!  Look  at  their  railroad 
cars  glancing  like  fiery  meteors  from  one  end  of  the  land  to  the 
other;  blazing  Centaurs  with  untiring  nerves,  with  unwasting 
strength,  and  who  seem  to  go,  too,  on  the  grand  temperance 
principle,  laboring  all  day  on  water  only.  (Laughter  and  loud 
cheers.)  Think  you  the  American  people  will  suffer  their  cars 
to  stop,  their  railroads  to  be  broken  in  twain,  and  their  majestic 
rivers  severed  or  changed  in  their  courses,  because  politicians 
choose  to  draw  a  dividing  line  betwreen  a  Northern  and  a 
Southern  empire  ?  Never,  sir,  never.  Proceeding  on  those 
great  national  principles  of  Union,  which  have  been  so  lumin 
ously  expounded  and  so  nobly  vindicated  by  your  illustrious 
Guest  (cheers),  they  wrill  teach  these  politicians  who  is  MASTER. 
Let  us  but  hang  together  for  fifty  years  longer,  and  we  may 
defy  the  world  even  to  separate  us.  (Shouts  and  repeated 
cheers.)  Let  us  but  safely  get  through  the  crisis,  and  our  Insti 
tutions  will  stand  on  a  firmer  basis  than  ever.  (Cheering.) 

And  let  it  never  be  forgotten,  fellow-citizens,  that  these  Insti 
tutions  are  ours  in  trust ;  we  hold  them  for  a  thousand  genera- 
rations  yet  to  emerge  from  the  stream  of  time.  They  are  sacred 
heir-looms,  confided  to  our  keeping  for  those  who  are  to  come 
after  us — and  if  we  allow  them  to  be  impaired  or  sullied,  while 
passing  through  our  hands,  we  are  guilty  of  a  double  crime  ;  we 
are  traitors  alike  to  our  fathers  and  to  our  posterity. 

True,  we  are  threatened  from  without  as  well  as  within. 
When  I  left  my  distant  home,  I  left  not  far  distant  from  it 
thousands  of  warlike  Indians, — congregated  and  armed  by  the 
policy  of  this  Administration — consulting,  plotting,  meditating 
vengeance.  They  number,  it  is  said,  sixty  thousand  fighting  men. 
You  have  given  them  rifles,  and  Nature  has  given  them,  in.  t.he 


868  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

vast  prairies  in  their  rear,  and  tens  of  thousands  of  wild  horses 
which  they  well  know  how  to  break  in  and  to  ride.  Their  hearts 
burn  with  wounded  pride,  and  boil  with  meditated  revenge  ;  and 
who  knows  how  soon  they  may  return  on  us,  Mazeppa-like,  to  pay 
us  home  for  all  their  injuries  ?  I  know,  that  in  stating  the  dangers 
of  the  Far  West,  I  shall  not  be  heard  with  indifference,  though  I 
epeak  in  the  Far  East.  No — we  are  one  body  ;  and  where  one 
member  suffer?,  all  the  rest  suffer  with  it ;  or  one  member  pros- 
per<,  all  the  rest  rejoice  with  it ;  and  I  hold  it  a  high  duty  of 
those  citizens  who  come  from  distant  parts  of  our  wide  Union, 
to  assure  their  fellow-citizens  of  the  perfect  sympathy  and  una 
nimity  of  feeling  which  pervades  the  entire  people  of  this  Con 
federacy.  Yes — we  are  one  people,  for  weal  or  for  woe.  When 
I  cannot  come  from  Mississippi,  and  call  the  men  of  Boston 
my  fellow-citizens,  my  kindred,  my  brethren,  I  desire  no  longer 
to  be  myself  a  citizen  of  the  Republic.  (Cheers,  long  and  loud.) 
Yes — we  are  all  embarked  on  one  bottom  :  and  whether  we  sink 
or  swim,  we  will  swim  or  we  wrill  sink  TOGETHEK!  (Here 
the  hall  rang  with  triumphant  shouts,  clapping  of  hands, 
and  rounds  of  cheering;  handkerchiefs  waved,  and  the  trom 
bones  of  the  band  pealed  a  note  of  union  with  the  cries  of  the 
assembly.) 

Mr.  PRENTISS  concluded  by  offering  the  following  toast : — 
The   Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts — Foremost  among  the 
States  in  the  formation  of  this  Republic — second  to  none  in  the 
ability,  integrity,  and  patriotism  which  she  has  always  contri 
buted  to  sustain  it. 

The  toast  was  received  with  immense  and  prolonged  cheering. 
The  first  part  of  Mr:  P.'s  speech  was  constantly  interrupted  by 
the  most  vehement  bursts  of  applause.  At  length,  however,  the 
audience  discovered  that  it  was  their  best  way  to  listen  in 
silence,  and  he  was  permitted  to  go  on  with  only  occasional 
interruptions.  After  speaking  a  little  while,  he  intimated  an 
intention  to  stop,  but  was  instantly  assailed  by  loud  cries  from 
every  part  of  the  Hall — Go  on,  go  on  !  Do^t  stop  !  As  he 
drew  towards  a  close,  the  interest  became  almost  painfully 
intense.  The  audience  were  so  entranced,  that  it  seemed  as  if 


SPEECH    IN    FANEUIL   HALL.  369 

they  would  have  sat  and  listened  without  weariness  until  the 
next  morning.* 

Mr.  Prentiss  was  exceedingly  gratified  by  his  reception 
in  Boston.  He  seemed  to  have  a  home-like  feeling  in 
the  old  Puritan  Metropolis  ;  and  it  is  doubtful  if  any 
plaudits  ever  gave  him  more  pleasure  than  those  which 
resounded  from  the  time-honored  walls  of  Faneuil  Hall. 
He  said,  the  favorable  judgment  of  such  an  assembly  as  he 
saw  before  him  on  this  occasion — an  assembly  representing 
the  highest  statesmanship,  the  best  learning,  literary  culture 
and  social  refinement,  as  well  as  the  commercial  enterprise, 
mechanical  industry,  and  substantial  virtues  of  New  Eng 
land,  was  a  test  of  genuine  oratory,  which  any  man 
might  well  be  proud  of  standing.  He  was,  however,  far 
from  being  satisfied  himself  with  his  address  in  Faneuil  Hall. 
He  remarked,  sometime  afterwards,  that  he  thought  it  a 
failure  ;  adding  as  a  reason  :  "  I  was  so  awed  and  over 
whelmed  by  the  Spirit  of  the  Place,  that  I  could  not 
speak  }" 

There  are  few  other  instances  in  our  history  of  a  young 
man  of  twenty-nine  winning  for  himself,  in  less  than  six 
months,  a  national  reputation  as  an  orator  and  a  statesman. 
The  opportunity,  furnished  by  the  Mississippi  Contested 


*  Of  the  numberless  contemporary  notices  of  this  speech,  the  following,  by  the 
Editor  of  the  N.  Y.  Courier  and  Enquirer,  is  a  fair  sample  : — 

"  Mr.  PRENTISS  rose  and  detained  the  audience  for  upwards  of  an  hour  in  one  of 
the  most  thrilling  and  interesting  harangues  ever  made  to  a  popular  assembly.  His 
style  is  copious,  though  distinct,  and  he  poured  forth  a  flood  of  eloquence  with  what, 
I  might  almost  call,  a  velocity  of  utterance,  a  fluency,  and  at  the  same  time,  beauty 
of  expression,  which  I  never  heard  equalled.  He  was  occasionally  interrupted  by 
the  most  enthusiastic  shouts  and  applauses  of  the  audience  ;  but  during  all  these 
cessations  he  seemed  to  chafe,  like  an  eager  war-horse  impatient  for  the  onset — 
and  hU  crowding  thoughts  would  burst  from  all  restraint,  and  he  would  resume  his 
speech  long  before  the  thunder  of  approbation  had  died  away.  To  use  a  phrase  oi 
Byron's,  he  seemed  to  '  wreak  himself  on  expression.'  '* 

16* 


310  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

Election,  of  attracting   the  eye   of  the   country  was,  cer 
tainly,    very   fine  ;    but  then,   only  abilities   of  the  rarest 
quality  could  have  made  such  effective   use  of  it.      Frora 
the  moment  Mr.  Prentiss  opened  his  mouth  in  the  House 
of  Representatives,  the  public  press  throughout  the  Union 
resounded  with  his  praise  ;   descriptions  of  his  person  and 
speeches,    scraps    of  his   private   history,   anecdotes  of  his 
wit  and  humor,  formed,  for  several  weeks,   no   small   part 
of  the  correspondence  from  Washington.     And  the   more 
he   was   known,   or   written   about,    the   greater   was   the 
interest  everywhere  felt  in  him.     Nothing  short  of  an  actual 
inspection  of  the   newspapers  of  that  day,   would   suffice 
to  give  an  adequate  idea  of  the  sensation  caused  by  his 
sudden    appearance   in    the   political  heavens.     "Did   you 
hear  S.  S.  Prentiss,  of  Mississippi  ?"    was  one  of  the  first 
questions  which  everybody  asked  of  a  person  returning  from 
Washington.     Wherever  you  travelled,  North,  South,  East, 
or  West  ;  wherever  you  found  yourself,  in  parlor,  or  steam 
boat  saloon,  in  stage-coach  or  hotel,  the  chance  was  that  you 
would  catch  the  name  of  S.  S.  Prentiss.     The  desire  to  see 
and  hear  him  was  just  as  strong  in  Philadelphia,  New  York, 
and  Boston,  as  in  the  backwoods  of  Mississippi ;  and  his 
eloquence  seemed  to  have  an  equal  charm  for  the  most  cul 
tivated  and  the  most  illiterate — of  both  sexes,  and  of  every 
age.*     But  of  all  this  the  reader  will  have  ample  evidence, 
as  we  go  on. 


*  One  of  the  ways  in  which  the  general  interest  in  him  expressed  itself,  was  a 
request  for  his  autograph.  Numerous  applications  of  this  sort  reached  him  from 
different  parts  of  the  country,  all  couched  in  terms  of  admiration,  and  some  of  them 
breathing  almost  a  personal  regard.  The  following,  from  the  interior  of  New  York, 
may  serve  as  a  specimen  : — "  I  take  the  liberty,  though  an  entire  stranger,  of  address 
ing  this  note  to  you  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  an  autograph  of  your  handwriting 
and  signature.  Though  I  shall  never,  perhaps,  see  you  in  person,  yet  I  btg  leave  to 
enjoy  the  pleasure  of  receiving  an  answer  to  this  request,  which  will  ir  ^>art  make  up 
for  my  expectation  of  never  seeing  you.  I  am  but  a  boy  of  fourteer  years  of  age.'' 


PUBLIC    INVITATIONS    TO    HIM.  371 

His  reception  in  Boston,  as  has  been  said,  afforded  him 
much  gratification.  But,  in  general,  he  showed  a  singular 
indifference  to  the  applauses  which  were  heaped  upon  him. 
No  one  knew  better  than  he  the  ephemeral  character  of 
such  honors.  He  had,  too,  a  natural  modesty  and  good 
sense,  which  made  him  shrink  from  the  notoriety  incident  to 
popular  favor.  This,  also,  will  appear  very  plainly  in  subse 
quent  pages. 

During  his  present  visit  home,  he  made  up  a  family  party 
and  took  a  trip  to  the  White  Mountains.  It  would  be  easy 
to  fill  a  chapter  with  pleasant  reminiscences  of  this  excur 
sion.  He  also  resorted  to  the  Great  Brook,  and  nothing 
could  exceed  the  boyish  delight  with  which  he  sought  out 
the  old  'holes,'  and  abandoned  himself  to  the  memories  of 
other  days.  There  was  an  indescribable  sweetness  and 
bonhomie  in  his  temper  at  such  times.  He  was  careful, 
also,  to  call  upon  the  old  neighbors,  and  have  a  talk  with 
them  about  the  past  and  the  present. 

While  at  Portland,  he  was  beset  with  urgent  requests  to 
address  the  people  in  different  parts  of  New  England. 
Invitations  to  public  dinners  also  came  from  various  quar 
ters.  Among  the  rest,  he  received  one  of  a  highly  flatter 
ing  character  from  New  York,  signed  by  the  Mayor,  and 
some  of  the  most  distinguished  gentlemen  of  the  city. 

He  declined  all  these  invitations,  even  that  of  his  old 
friends  and  fellow-townsmen  of  Portland.  "  I  need  not  say," 
he  writes  in  reply  to  the  committee  of  the  latter,  "  that 
your  partiality  has  done  me  honor  overmuch  in  relation  to 
the  humble  part  which  it  was  my  lot  to  act  in  sustaining  the 
rights  of  Mississippi,  as  well  as  in  the  more  general  political 
questions  of  the  day.  Without  fear  or  favor  have  I 
attempted  to  perform  my  duty.  I  certainly  claim  no  credit 
for  pursuing  the  only  course  which  was  consistent  with  my 
notions  of  honor,  principle,  and  obligations  to  the  country 


372  MEMOIR    OP    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

Your  approbation  of  that  course  is  exceedingly  gratifying 
as  an  additional  assurance  of  its  propriety — and  will  add 
another  link  to  the  chain  which  binds  me  to  my  native 
place.  I  regret  that  it  does  not  fall  within  the  scope  of  the 
short  and  flying  visit  I  am  making  to  my  relatives,  to  accept 
of  honors  such  as  you  have  so  kindly  tendered.  Permit 
me,  therefore,  most  respectfully  to  decline  your  proffered 
hospitality." 

The  following  is  the  New  York  correspondence  : — 

NBTT  YORK,  August  8,  m8. 
HON.  S.  S.  PRENTISS, 

DEAR  SIR  : — 

You  cannot  need  our  assurance  of  the  gratifica 
tion  we  feel  in  transmitting  you  the  proceedings  of  "  a  joint  com 
mittee  of  Citizens,  and  the  Whig  General  Committee"  of  our  city, 
on  the  7th  inst.  They  are  intended  to  do  you  honor;  and  as  the 
tribute  to  your  genius  and  fine  attainments  is  spontaneous  and 
comes  from  the  citizens  generally,  we  indulge  the  hope  that  you 
will  not  only  meet  your  fellow-citizens  in  Masonic  Hall,  but  will 
also  accept  their  invitation  to  the  dinner  now  tendered. 
With  high  consideration, 

We  are  your  very  obedient  servants, 

AARON  CLARK,  Chairman. 
JAMES  M.  PEASE.  Secretary. 

At  a  meeting  of  Citizens  and  the  Whig  General  Committee  of 
the  City  of  New  York,  convened  in  compliance  with  a  call  from 
his  Honor  the  Mayor,  on  Monday,  August  7th,  the  Chairman  and 
Secretary  were  instructed  to  transmit  the  following  resolutions 
and  letter  of  invitation  to  the  Hon.  S.  S.  PRENTISS  : — 

NEW  YORK,  23  July,  1888. 
HON.  S.  S.  PRENTISS, 

SIR:— 

Learning  that  it  is  your  intention  to  iv- visit  our 
city  on  your  return  from  your  native  State  to  Mississippi,  we,  OB 


NEW   YORK    CORRESPONDENCE. 


373 


behalf  of  many  of  our  fellow-citizens,  have  great  pleasure  in  ten 
dering  you  a  Public  Dinner,  to  be  given  you  on  the  day  of  your 
arrival  here,  or,  as  soon  afterwards  as  your  convenience  will 
permit. 

In  proffering  you  this  courtesy,  we  do  so  as  a  proof  of  our 
esteem  for  you  personally,  and  as  a  token  of  the  high  regard  we 
have  for  you  as  a  public  man,  inasmuch  as  that  your  advocacy 
of  the  rights  of  Mississippi  has  gone  far  to  assure  the  sovereignty 
of  each  State  of  the  Union,  and  furnishes  a  noble  evidence  of  the 
moral  power  of  talent,  when  exerted  in  a  just  cause,  superadded 
to  eloquence  and  true  genius. 

"We  remain,  Sir, 

Your  fellow-citizens, 


GULIAN  0.  VERPLANK, 
NATHANIEL  WEED, 
WILLIS  HALL, 
G.  W.  BRUEN, 
CHAS.  H.  RUSSELL, 
K.  0.  WETMOEE, 
AMOS  PALMEK, 
D.  H.  ROBERTSON, 
J.  B.  RATHBONE, 
REVO  0.  HANOE, 
JNO.  R.  MARSHALL, 
CHARLES  C.  PECK, 
F.  1ST.  TALLMADGE, 
WM.  TURNER, 
J.  A.  MORTON,  Jun. 
JOHN  WELROT, 
CHARLES  OAKLEY, 

B.  R.  WlNTHROP, 

REDWOOD  FISHER, 
CHAS.  WOLFE, 
WM.  K.  PALMER, 
J.  COLLIS, 
ANDREW  OLIVER, 
J.  F.  LIPPITT, 


AARON  CLARK, 
Y.  B.  WALDRON, 
GIDEON  LEE, 
SAM'L  SWARTWOUT, 
MOSES  H.  GRINNELL, 
DUDLEY  SELDEN, 
R.  M.  BLATCHFORD, 
JNO.  DE  WOLFE, 
JAMES  M.  PEASE, 
SAM'L  PALMER, 
SHEPHERD  KNAPP, 
D.  GRAHAM,  Jun. 
G.  S.  ROBBINS, 
FRED.  L.  HENOP, 
ISAAC  H.  UNDERBILL, 
EDWIN  CLARK, 
EDWARD  0.  MICKLE 
WM.  R.  DIXON, 
H.  WEED, 
G.  D.  BALDWIN, 
PETER  S.  TOWNSENB, 
JAMES  DE  FOREST, 
JAS.  H.  BRAINE, 

ASHER  KURSHEEDT 


374  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

Resolved,  That  the  Whigs  of  Mississippi  are  entitled,  in  ai 
eminent  degree,  to  the  thanks  of  their  brethren  throughout  the 
Union,  for  their  patriotic  exertions  in  electing  to  Congress  th« 
Hon.  S.  S.  Prentiss  and  the  Hon.  Thomas  J.Word;  notwithstand 
ing  the  fraudulent  attempt  of  the  Administration  party  to  defeat 
the  result  of  a  fair  expression  of  the  popular  will. 

Resolved,  That  in  the  opinion  of  this  meeting,  and  we  may 
safely  say,  in  the  opinion  of  the  Whigs  of  this  city  and  State,  the 
political  regeneration  of  Mississippi,  as  evinced  by  the  late  elec 
tions  in  that  State,  has  been  greatly  aided  by  the  ardent  zeal,  the 
able,  the  brilliant  and  untiring  efforts  of  the  Hon.  S.  S.  PRENTISS. 

Resolved,  That  the  Hon.  S.  S.  PREXTISS,  now  at  the  North, 
and  expected  to  pass  through  this  city,  on  his  return  to  Missis 
sippi,  be  respectfully  invited  to  attend  a  meeting  of  the  Whigs  of 
New  York,  and  receive  from  them  a  public  expression  of  their 
gratitude  to  the  State  of  which  he  is  a  Representatives  in  Con 
gress,  and  their  warm  acknowledgment  for  his  own  distin 
guished  services  in  arousing  the  attention  of  the  people  of  that 
State  to  the  unconstitutional  and  ruinous  course  of  the  present 
National  Administration. 

MR.   PRENTISS'   REPLY. 

NEW  YORK,  August  13, 1888. 

GENTLEMEN  : — 

I  have  just  received  your  favor  of  the  23d  ult. 
inviting  me,  on  behalf  of  many  of  your  fellow-citizens,  to  a  Pub 
lic  Dinner,  at  such  time  as  my  convenience  may  permit. 

For  the  honor  you  have  conferred  upon  me,  allow  me  to 
render  my  most  profound  thanks.  The  esteem  of  such  gen 
tlemen  as  those  whose  names  are  appended  to  the  Invitation 
which  has  been  extended  to  me,  is  of  itself  ample  reward 
for  much  higher  exertions,  and  more  effectual  public  services, 
than  anything  which  I  have  been  able  to  accomplish.  Your 
kind  attention  I  receive  as  an  expression  of  your  joy  at  the  sue 
cessful  result,  in  Mississippi,  of  her  patriotic  and  noble  defence  of 
her  dearest  rights  against  the  desperate  attack  of  a  corrupt  and 
wicked  party.  On  her  behalf,  as  well  as  my  own,  I  should  bo 
gratified,  under  other  circumstances,  to  avail  myself  of  your  hos- 


NEW   YORK    CORRESPONDENCE.  375 

pitality;  but  fit  present,  being  anxious  to  return  forthwith  to 
Mississippi,  and  being  conscious  that  I  have  already  received 
from  my  fellow-citizens  more  attention  than  I  have  yet  had 
the  opportunity  of  deserving,  I  beg  leave  most  respectfully  to 
decline  the  honor  which  you  have  tendered  me.  Believe  me, 
however,  the  remembrance  of  your  friendly  intentions  will 
always  awaken  in  my  breast  the  most  grateful  emotions. 

Accept,  gentlemen,  my  best  wishes  for  yourselves  and  those 
whom  you  represent. 

I  am,  with  the  highest  respect, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

S.  S.  PEKNTISB. 
To  Messrs.  AAEON  OLAEK,  G.  C.  VERPLANK, 

GIDEON  LEE,  MOSES  H.  GEINNELL,  F.  N. 
TALLMADGE,  JOHN  DE  WOLFE,  and  others. 

He  consented,  however,  to  deliver  an  address  in  Masonic 
Hall.  It  was  his  first  speech  in  the  Empire  City,  and  its 
mechanics,  laborers,  professional  men,  and  merchant  princes 
turned  out  en  masse  to  hear  him.  Just  eleven  years  had 
elapsed  since  he  visited  New  York  on  his  way  to  the 
Far  West. 

Col.  William  L.  Stone,  the  accomplished  Editor  of  the 
Commercial  Advertiser,  and  a  warm  admirer  of  Mr.  P.,  thus 
noticed  the  meeting  : — 

It  was  a  tremendous  rally.  But  apparently  not  a  tithe  of  the 
people  who  attempted  to  get  into  the  Hall  were  successful. 
We  have  some  skill  in  working  through  a  crowd,  but  never 
before  did  we  come  so  near  being  defeated.  PEENTISS  was  in  fine 
spirits,  and  the  audience  were  delighted  with  him.  We  have 
heard  him  when  he  was  more  brilliant  than  last  evening — that 
is,  we  have  seen  more  bright  flashes  of  humor,  and  more  intense 
coruscations  of  wit.  But  he  was  then  less  argumentative  and, 
in  fact,  less  able-  his  speech  of  last  evening  being  the  effort  of 
a  state-man,  whose  main  design  was  to  address  himself  rather 
to  the  understanding  than  to  the  imagination  and  passions  of  nit 
audience. 


316  MiMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PREMISS. 

In  order  to  avoid  further  attentions  on  the  part  of  his 
political  friends,  he  determined  to  go  home  by  sea,  and 
accordingly  took  passage  for  New  Orleans. 

The  following  reminiscence,  furnished  by  Judge  Wilkinson, 
will  be  here  in  place  : — 

Mr.  PRENTISS  presented  the  moral  idiosyncrasy  of  a  man  of  the 
first  order  of  intellect,  who  was  utterly  devoid  of  ambition  or 
vanity — and  who,  although  he  highly  relished  a  manifestation  of 
mind  in  others,  did  not  seem  to  value  himself  a  sou  for  the  pos 
session  of  it.  He  even  despised  those  who  followed  after  him 
on  account  of  his  fame;  and  felt  disgusted  and  not  a  little  scan 
dalized  at  the  height  to  which  he  was  so  suddenly  rai.-ed.  I 
met  him  in  the  city  of  .New  York  in  the  summer  of  1838.  He 
was  just  from  Washington,  with  his  laurels  fresh  and  thick  upon 
him.  He  proposed  a  breakfast  d  la  fourchette  at  Delmonico's, 
and  an  exclusive  talk.  As  we  walked  along  Broadway,  his  arm 
in  mine,  a  crowd  of  persons  gathered  about  him  and  followed 
after.  "PKENTISS,"  said  I  to  him,  "this  is  a  long  and  lofty 
stride  you  have  taken.  Don't  you  feel  a  little  giddy  at  your  sud 
den  elevation?"  "No,"  he  calmly  replied,  "I  have  known  for 
years  what  I  know  now — that  I  could  accomplish  what  I  have 
accomplished.  I  cared  not  for  the  opportunity,  but  was  quite 
content  to  'live  and  die  unheard;'  but  opportunity  came,  and  I 
seized  it.  As  to  having  my  head  turned  by  this  excess  of  praise, 
I  am  really  sickened  by  it ;  and  to  avoid  it,  intend  to  proceed 
from  this  point  to  Mississippi  by  sea."  "  Were  you  composed 
and  self-possessed,  when  you  rose  to  your  feet  for  the  first  time 
in  Congress?"  I  asked.  "Entirely  so — as  much  so  as  if  I  had 

been  beginning  a  speech  to  old ,"  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  in 

Yicksburg.  "  Your  style  is  more  figurative  than  it  used  to  be, 
and  some  say  you  do  not  reason  now  as  well  as  you  declaim." 
"  They  are  mistaken,  I  think.  The  truth  is,  the  natural  bent  of 
my  mind  is  to  dry  and  pure  ratiocination  ;  but  finding  early  that 
mankind,  from  a  petit  jury  to  the  highest  deliberative  assembly, 
are  more  influenced  by  illustration  than  by  argument,  I  have 
cultivated  my  imagination  in  aid  of  my  understanding."  Mr. 


RECEPTION    AT    NEW    ORLEANS.  377 

PBENTISS  never,  at  any  other  time,  spoke  to  me  so  long  about 
himself.  He  assuredly  did  not  desire  official  position  for  his  own 
sake,  or  for  its  sake.  He  was  too  proud  a  man  willingly  to  sub 
mit  his  claims  for  office  to  the  arbitrament  of  the  public ;  and 
he  looked  down  upon  the  man  who  was  continually  suing  for 
popular  favor,  as  the  meanest  and  the  most  mischievous  of  all 
the  members  of  society. 

The  voyage  was  unusually  long,  and  before  the  vessel 
touched  port  the  public  press  began  to  express  considerable 
anxiety  for  his  safety.  He  reached  New  Orleans  in  the 
morning,  and  was  immediately  waited  on  by  a  committee, 
tendering  him  the  hospitalities  of  the  city.  At  noon,  a 
national  salute  of  twenty-six  guns  was  fired  in  honor  of  his 
arrival,  and  the  whole  day  was  spent  in  receiving  the  con 
gratulations  of  the  people.  He  declined  a  public  dinner, 
alleging  that  it  was  not  quite  safe  to  remain  another  day,  as 
the  flattering  attentions  of  his  fellow-citizens  would  render 
the  place  hardly  less  fatal  to  him  than  the  Circean  Isles  to 
the  travel-worn  Ulysses.  The  multitude,  however,  were  so 
bent  on  hearing  him,  that  he  found  it  impossible  to  leave  the 
city  without  a  speech.  In  reply  to  a  complimentary  address 
from  Judge  Jackson,  he  spoke  for  an  hour  and  a  half.  A 
gentleman  present  describes  his  speech  as  "  equal  in  power 
and  brilliancy  to  similar  efforts,  which  had  astonished  Con 
gress  and  won  for  him  a  place  in  the  first  rank  of  American 
orators.  His  popular  style,  now  mounting  to  the  majestic, 
now  playfully  descending  to  colloquial  simplicity,  was  admi 
rably  adapted  for  carrying  away  the  hearts  and  heads  of 
the  warmhearted  denizens  of  the  South  ;  yet  were  his 
avowed  principles  so  pure,  his  patriotism  so  evident,  that 
Minos  himself  might  have  sat  in  judgment  on  him  and 
found  no  fault." 

In  the  early  evening,  a  cavalcade  of  his  friends,  followed 


378  MEM'JIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS. 

by  an  immense  concourse  of  the  people,  accompanied  him  to 
the  boat,  which  had  been  delayed  several  hours  to  take  him 
on  board.  As  the  gallant  steamer  moved  forth  upon  the 
broad  bosom  of  the  Father  of  Waters,  and  set  her  course 
towards  the  North  Star,  the  excited  crowd  fairly  rent  the 
air  with  their  deafening  cheers,  while  a  band  in  attendance 
struck  up  the  well-known  strain, 

"  Should  auld  acquaintance  be  forgot  ?" 

These  civilities  were  all  the  more  grateful,  as  there  had 
been,  for  some  time,  a  most  unhappy  state  of  feeling  between 
New  Orleans  and  Mississippi,  interrupting,  in  a  degree, 
even  social  intercourse.  Ever  after  this,  Mr.  Prentiss  was 
a  special  favorite  of  the  Crescent  City  ;  in  no  place  in  the 
country  had  he  more  devoted  friends  and  admirers. 

Upon  reaching  Mississippi,  too,  as  may  be  supposed,  he 
was  welcomed  with  open  arms.  The  flattering  attentions 
paid  to  him  in  New  England,  in  New  York,  and  at  New 
Orleans,  were  carefully  reported  by  the  Whig  journals  of 
the  State,  and  could  not  but  afford  his  friends  much  grati 
fication.* 

But  he  was  not  exempted  from  paying  the  penalty  usually 
attached  to  such  honors.  During  his  absence,  envy  and 
misrepresentation  had  been  busily  at  work  to  injure  his 
political  character  ;  the  cry  of  Abolitionism  was  raised 
against  him,  his  speech  in  Faneuil  Hall  having  given  espe- 

*  Never  in  the  history  of  our  country  have  we  seen  an  instance,  where  a  man 
of  his  age,  or  of  his  length  of  service,  as  a  public  man,  has  received  such  unusual — 
puchhigh  and  proud  demonstrations  of  honor  and  respect,  of  warm  greeting  and 
admiration,  as  has  Mr.  PRESTISS  received  during  his  present  absence  from  Missis 
sippi.  Nowhere  but  in  a  newspaper  office,  where  newspapers  are  received  by  the 
hundred  or  the  bushel,  can  a  person  form  a  tolerable  idea  of  the  extensive  respect 
and  admiration  which  his  talents  con-mand.  It  is  far  within  the  limits  of  the  facts 
to  say,  that  for  the  last  two  weeks  a  majority  of  our  exchange  papers  contain  either 
his  speeches,  extracts  from  them,  or  complimentary  notices  of  his  talents  and  thf 
gigiintic  powers  of  his  mind. — Natchez  Courier,  September  10,  183S. 


SPEECH    AT    VICKSBU11G.  379 

cial  offence  to  certain  Southern  patriots.  On  reaching 
Yicksburg,  he  was  invited  to  a  public  dinner.  At  the  close 
of  his  speech  on  the  occasion,  he  thus  impressively  alludes 
to  this  subject  : — 

It  is  the  fashionable  slang  of  the  day  to  denounce  the  Whig 
party  of  the  South  in  the  most  unqualified  terms,  as  leagued  with 
the  abolitionists,  traitors  to  their  own  interests,  enemies  to  their 
own  institutions  ;  and  other  such  like  phrases.  Southern  Democ 
racy,  it  seems,  consists  in  general  abuse  of  the  rest  of  the  Union,  a 
denial  of  the  existence  of  any  common  interest  with  the  North, 
and  a  bitter  denunciation  of  every  man  who  has  the  indepen 
dence  to  refuse  assent  to  these  strange  dogmas.  Indeed,  to  such 
an  extent  is  this  brotherly  hatred  now  carried  by  some,  that  a 
man  cannot  exchange  ordinary  courtesies,  or  civilities,  with  his 
fellow-citizens  of  the  North,  without  rendering  himself  obnoxious 
to  the  charge  of  being  an  enemy  to  the  South.  I  had  occasion 
myself  to  travel  North,  a  few  months  since,  on  private  business ; 
I  was  treated  with  great  kindness  and  hospitality,  a  kindness  and 
hospitality  intended  entirely  as  an  expression  of  good  feeling 
towards  the  State  which  I  represented.  Yet  have  I  been  most 
bitterly  abused  for  responding  to  these  courtesies;  for  daring 
to  break  bread,  and  eat  salt  with  our  Northern  brethren  ;  and 
especially  for  so  far  violating  Southern  policy  as  to  have 
wickedly  visited  the  cradle  of  liberty,  and  most  sacrilegiously 
entered  Old  Faneuil  Hall. 

I  could  pity  these  foolish  men,  whose  patriotism  consists  in 
hating  everything  beyond  the  limited  horizon  of  their  own  nar- 
now  minds  ;  but  contempt  and  scorn  will  not  allow  of  the  more 
amiable  sentiment.  It  is  said  against  me,  that  I  have  Northern 
feelings.  "Well,  so  I  have  ;  and  Southern,  and  Eastern,  and  West 
ern,  and  trust  that  I  shall  ever,  as  a  citizen  of  this  Republic, 
have  liberality  enough  to  embrace  within  the  scope  of  my  feel 
ings  both  its  cardinal  points  and  its  cardinal  interests.  I  do  not 
accuse  those  who  differ  with  me  of  a  desire  to  dissolve  the  Union, 
I  know  among  them  as  honest  and  honorable  men  as  belong  to 
any  party  :  but  I  do  most  seriously  believe  that  the  Union  can- 


380  MEMOIR    OF    S.    S.    PRENTI3S. 

not  long  survive  such  kind  of  argument  and  feeling,  as  tt.at  t< 
which  I  have  alluded.  Indeed,  if  such  sentiments  are  well- 
founded,  it  ought  not  to  continue ;  its  objects  and  uses  have 
ceased.  Still  I  do  most  fervently  pray  that  such  a  catastrophe 
may  be  averted ;  at  least,  that  my  eyes  may  not  witness  & 
division  of  this  Republic.  Though  it  may  be  a  day  of  rejoicing 
for  the  demagogue,  it  will  prove  a  bitter  hour  for  the  good  man 
and  the  patriot.  Sir,  there  are  some  things  belonging  to  this 
Union,  which  you  cannot  divide ;  you  cannot  divide  its  glorious 
history,  the  recollections  of  Lexington  and  Bunker  Hill;  you 
cannot  divide  the  bones  of  your  Revolutionary  sires  ;  they  would 
not  lie  still  away  from  the  ancient  battle-grounds  where  they 
have  so  long  slumbered.  And  the  portrait  of  the  Father  of  his 
Country,  which  hangs  in  the  Capitol,  how  much  of  it  will  fall  to 
your  share,  when  both  that  country  and  picture  shall  be  dis 
membered  ? 

But,  fellow-citizens,  I  havs  detained  you  too  long  upon  these 
themes,  and  the  closing  day  Avarns  me  to  desist.  The  political 
relation  which  exists  between  us,  and  the  fact  that  that  relation 
will  soon  cease,  constitute  my  apology  for  the  tax  I  have  laid 
upon  your  patience.  As  a  private  citizen,  I  trust  ever  to  retain 
your  confidence  and  regard,  though  as  a  public  man,  I  shall  never 
again  seek  them.  Private  interests,  as  well  as  inclination,  will 
keep  me  from  the  political  arena.  The  ancient  gladiator  pursued 
a  more  enviable  occupation  than  that  of  the  modern  politician. 
For  the  short  remainder  of  the  present  Congress,  I  shall  continue 
to  perform  my  duty  as  your  Representative,  but  decline  being 
considered  a  candidate  for  re-election.  With  the  most  profound 
thanks  for  your  long-continued  favors  to  me,  both  in  public 
and  private  life,  I  bid  you  farewell. 

TO    HIS    SISTER    ANNA. 

VICKSBUHG,  Sept.  80, 1838. 

MY  DEAR  SISTER: — 

I  wrote  to  George  about  a  week  ago,  informing 
you  all  of  my  safe  arrival  and  excellent  health.  Though  the 
passage  round  was  extremely  tedious,  yet,  on  the  whole,  it  rs 


LETTERS.  381 

fortunate  that  I  took  this  route  ;  for  the  Ohio  river  has  been  so 
low,  that  it  has  been  with  the  utmost  difficulty  that  onr  citizens 
have  travelled  in  that  direction  since  I  got  home.  I  have  been  out 
to  Jackson,  from  whence  I  returned  yesterday.  I  find  the  country 
has  been  remarkably  healthy  during  the  summer;  more  so,  I 
think,  than  at  the  North.  My  affairs  are  a  good  deal  disordered 
from  neglect,  but  I  shall,  I  do  not  doubt,  be  able  to  bring  them 
right.  My  friends  have  greeted  me  with  great  kindness,  and  on 
Saturday  next  I  take  a  public  dinner  with  the  citizens  of  Vicks- 
burg.  I  shall  return  to  Washington  this  winter  ;  after  which  I 
am  determined  to  retire  from  politics.  This  determination  is 
warmly  opposed  by  the  Whigs,  but  I  am  resolved  to  carry  it  into 
effect.  I  shall  return  to  the  practice  of  the  law,  until  times 
become  better  and  my  affairs  settled.  I  am  anxiously  expecting 
a  letter  from  you,  and  was  disappointed  in  not  finding  one  await 
ing  my  arrival.  I  shall  not  leave  for  Washington  until  the  last 
of  November  or  first  of  December.  Judge  Guion  and  his  family 
are  well.  I  think  of  nothing  further  at  present,  but  shall  write 
again  soon.  My  love  to  you  all. 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

SEAEGENT. 

TO  HIS  YOUNGEST  BROTHER. 

VICKSBURO,  Nov.  1,  1888. 

DEAR  GEORGE  : — 

I  have  been  so  busy  since  I  wrote  you  last,  that  I 
have  absolutely  not  found  time  to  perform  my  duty  towards  you, 
as  a  correspondent.  Besides  all  my  old  business,  which  has  been 
accumulating  for  a  year  and  more,  I  have  been  busily  engaged 
for  the  last  fortnight  in  the  practice  of  my  profession.  Our 
criminal  court  has  been  in  session,  and  no  sooner  was  it  known 
that  I  had  resumed  the  practice,  than  my  hands  were  full. 
In  the  last  ten  days  I  have  defended  five  men,  tried  for  their 
lives,  and  was  successful  in  acquitting  them  all.  Next  week 
I  am  employed  to  go  to  Oopiah  county  and  defend  a  man  who 
is  indicted  for  murder.  I  regret  very  much  that  I  have  to 
go  back  to  Washington  City  this  winter;  but  I  am  compelled 


382  MEMOIR   OF    S.    S.    PRENTISS.' 

to  do  so.  My  friends  will  not  hear  of  my  resigning.  Indeed^ 
since  I  announced  my  determination  to  decline  a  re-election, 
they  have  annoyed  me  almost  to  death  by  solicitations  to 
run  again,  or  at  least  to  be  a  candidate  for  the  Senate.  They 
tell  me  I  am  the  only  man  in  the  State  who  can  run  with 
any  certainty  of  success.  Still,  though  sorely  tempted,  I  have 
"declined,  and  do  not  think  anything  will  induce  me  to 
change  my  determination.  In  regard  to  business  affairs,  I  find 
my  property  in  nowise  diminished  in  value ;  but  shall  be  pes 
tered,  for  about  a  year,  by  new  lawsuits  which  they  are  insti 
tuting  in  relation  to  it.  I  have  not  the  slightest  fear  about  the 
/esult.  I  shall  gain  the  suit  without  difficulty.  Still,  it  will  delay 
me  in  my  ultimate  objects,  inasmuch  as,  until  its  decision,  the 
property  will  not  sell  to  advantage.  My  professional  prospects 
are  of  the  brightest  character.  I  shall  have  on  my  return  in  the 
spring  as  much  business  as  I  can  attend  to,  and  of  the  most 
lucrative  kind.  The  weather  is  delightful  and  my  health  very 
fine.  I  shall  not  leave  here  until  the  last  of  the  month. 

Yours  affectionately,  S.  S.  P. 

Upon  his  return  to  Yicksburg,  Mr.  Prentiss  might  have 
boasted  an  amount  of  labor  and  locomotion  during  the  pre 
vious  twelve  or  thirteen  months,  which  was  probably 
equalled,  in  the  same  space,  by  few  men  in  the  United 
States.  In  little  more  than  a  year  he  had  travelled,  accord 
ing  to  a  moderate  estimate,  some  three  thousand  miles  on 
horseback,  eight  thousand  by  stage,  steamboat,  or  railroad, 
and  sixteen  hundred  by  ship — that  is,  in  all,  12,600  miles. 
Could  his  mental  exertions  during  the  same  period  be  put 
into  figures,  the  result  would  be  a  psychological  wonder. 


BUD   OF  VOL.  I. 


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